Reagan Solar Panels White House

Reagan was quoted as saying the panels were unsightly and unnecessary.

Reagan solar panels white house. Five years later president reagan inexplicably had the free clean energy sources removed. 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. Regan felt that the equipment was just a joke and he had it taken down the panels were removed in 1986 when work was being done on the white house roof below the panels.

In 1991 unity college an environmentally centered college in maine acquired the panels and later installed them on their cafeteria. This symbolic installation was taken down in 1986 during the reagan presidency. Here is a video we created on the issue. The 32 panels were ripped out in 1986 as yes you guessed right.

The white house did not have solar panels in 2000. 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. That system is working. To understand what happened we have to go back to the reagan administration.

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. Solar panels were installed in the late 1970s to provide hot water to the white house residence. Reagan who didn t think much of solar energy also allowed the tax credit carter had instated to lapse.

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