Reagan White House Solar Panels

In 1986 ronald reagan removed the solar panels installed by jimmy carter from the white house.

Reagan white house solar panels.

When the reagans moved into the white house in 1981 they inherited 32 solar panels generating carbon free electricity on the west wing roof. 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. The white house did not have solar panels in 2000. The panels were removed during the reagan administration when repair and reconstruction of the damaged roof of the white house took place.

In 1991 unity college an environmentally centered college in maine acquired the panels and later installed them on their cafeteria. Reagan who didn t think much of solar energy also allowed the tax credit carter had instated to lapse. The reagan administration weren t fans of solar. Reagan was quoted as saying the panels were unsightly and unnecessary.

The 32 panels were ripped out in 1986 as yes you guessed right. And in 1986 the reagan administration quietly dismantled the white house solar panel installation while resurfacing the roof. George charles szego the engineer who persuaded carter to install the solar panels reportedly claimed that reagan s chief of staff donald t. Five years later president reagan inexplicably had the free clean energy sources removed.

Here is a video we created on the issue. 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. The solar panels installed by the carter administration actually did a significant amount of damage to the roof of the white house. This symbolic installation was taken down in 1986 during the reagan presidency.

Reagan saw the solar panels installed by carter for what they were a public relations stunt and ordered them dismantled. 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. To understand what happened we have to go back to the reagan administration.