Reagan Solar Panels White House Removed

Under reagan funding was cut for the newly formed department of energy and in 1986 when the white house needed roof repairs under the solar thermal panels the reagan administration removed the panels and quietly decided to not reinstall them claiming it simply wasn t a cost effective option.

Reagan solar panels white house removed.

In 1979 jimmy carter in a forward looking move installed solar panels in the roof of the white house. In 1991 unity college an environmentally centered college in maine acquired the panels and later installed them on their cafeteria. Solar panels had once provided hot water for west wing offices under presidents jimmy carter and reagan but reagan had the panels removed in the 1980s. This symbolic installation was taken down in 1986 during the reagan presidency.

A larger photograph shows the size of the panels and their proximity to the rest of the white house. Reagan was quoted as saying the panels were unsightly and unnecessary. George charles szego the engineer who persuaded carter to install the solar panels reportedly claimed that reagan s chief of staff donald t. Since obama s election advocates of solar energy have hounded the administration to return solar to the white house.

Reagan saw the solar panels installed by carter for what they were a public relations stunt and ordered them dismantled. In 1986 ronald reagan removed the solar panels installed by jimmy carter from the white house. But in a curious parallel with the current occupant of the white house the panels weren t actually removed until 1986 five years after reagan took office. Five years later president reagan inexplicably had the free clean energy sources removed.

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 who didn t think much of solar energy also allowed the tax credit carter had instated to lapse.