Reagan Remoes Solar Panels

It was clear reagan had a completely different take on energy consumption.

Reagan remoes solar panels.

This symbolic installation was taken down in 1986 during the reagan presidency. In 1986 ronald reagan removed the solar panels installed by jimmy carter from the white house. Reagan s political philosophy viewed the free market as the best arbiter of what was good for the country. Reagan who didn t think much of solar energy also allowed the tax credit carter had instated to lapse.

Author natalie goldstein wrote in global warming. President ronald reagan took office in 1981 and the solar panels were removed during his administration. 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. Multiply by reagan s 32 solar panels and you get 33 6 kwh of clean energy every day for free.

In 1979 jimmy carter in a forward looking move installed solar panels in the roof of the white house. The average solar panel from the era produces approximately 1 05 kwh of energy every day. 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. Dirck halstead getty images.

On june 20 1979 the carter administration installed 32 panels designed to harvest the sun s rays and use them to heat water. In 1991 unity college an environmentally centered college in maine acquired the panels and later installed them on their cafeteria. Barry commoner a distinguished scientist and strong solar advocate was surprised and troubled by the smallness of both the proposed solar research budget and expected results he wanted to see the data from the national science foundation that supported the atomic energy commission s dismal view of the future of solar power especially since solar subpanel ix the scientific panel. Reagan was quoted as saying the panels were unsightly and unnecessary.