Originally panels were installed in the late 70s during president jimmy carter s administration but president ronald reagan removed them in 1986 because of a roof leak and decided not to.
Ronald reagan remove solar panels.
Reagan s political philosophy viewed the free market as the best arbiter of what was good for the country.
Seven years after the west wing roof party in 1986 the symbolic solar collectors met with roof repairs and they were never re installed.
Carter installed solar panels at the white house only to see them removed during ronald reagan s administration the former president is leasing part of his family s.
It was clear reagan had a completely different take on energy consumption.
In 1986 ronald reagan removed the solar panels installed by jimmy carter from the white house.
That also meant no solar panels.
Nearly 38 years after mr.
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.
In an excerpt from his new book let it shine john perlin reveals how one of the first actions of the new reagan administration was to dim the lights on what had been a promising start for an american solar energy program.
The average solar panel from the era produces approximately 1 05 kwh of energy every day.
Some activists have called on the obama administration to bring solar back to the white house roof and solar company sungevity has offered to install 102 of its photovoltaic panels.
How ronald reagan turned out the lights on solar power.
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.
Author natalie goldstein wrote in global warming.
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.
Reagan who didn t think much of solar energy also allowed the tax credit carter had instated to lapse.
President ronald reagan took office in 1981 and the solar panels were removed during his administration.
Dirck halstead getty images.