Reagan Takes Solar Panels Down

In 1986 when the price of energy was temporarily cheaper and americans minds were less focused on environmental issues president reagan ordered the panels removed from the white house roof.

Reagan takes solar panels down.

Reagan s political philosophy viewed the free market as the best arbiter of what was good for the country. In 1986 ronald reagan removed the solar panels installed by jimmy carter from the white house. The average solar panel from the era produces approximately 1 05 kwh of energy every day. In 1991 unity college an environmentally centered college in maine acquired the panels and later installed them on their cafeteria.

That also meant no solar panels. This symbolic installation was taken down in 1986 during the reagan presidency. While jimmy carter was in office the federal energy. Dixy lee ray the chair of the atomic energy commission and author of the nation s energy future took the subpanel seriously and made sure photovoltaics received but a pittance fulfilling her prophecy that solar would remain in her words like a flea on the behind of an elephant in america s energy mix.

Reagan was quoted as saying the panels were unsightly and unnecessary. It was clear reagan had a completely different take on energy consumption. Author natalie goldstein wrote in global warming. Dirck halstead getty images.

President ronald reagan took office in 1981 and the solar panels were removed during his administration. 365 days a year 24 year that s 294 336 kwh of dirty energy bought and burned because of one bad decision by ronald reagan. And it would take producing roughly a square meter of photovoltaic panels or the mirrors for a solar thermal system every few seconds for the next 40 years to harvest one terawatt of energy from. Reagan who didn t think much of solar energy also allowed the tax credit carter had instated to lapse.

They were taken down for. Ronald reagan helped tear down the berlin wall and he also helped tear down the white house s solar panels. Multiply by reagan s 32 solar panels and you get 33 6 kwh of clean energy every day for free. They were put in a warehouse in virginia and forgotten.

Solar panels finally back on the white house almost 30 years after reagan removed them new 50 comments by nathan ingraham may 9 2014 1 50pm edt.