In 1979, President Jimmy Carter installed solar panels in the White House in response to the oil shocks of the 1970s. President Reagan had them removed in 1986. Half of the panels were later installed on a college roof, and President Obama reinstalled solar panels in 2010.
In 1979, President Jimmy Carter installed 32 solar panels in the White House, largely in response to the oil shocks of the 1970s. In 1973, the OAPEC oil embargo had caused confusion and fear in the United States, forcing motorists to queue for gas, if they could find a station that even had fuel. The crisis has underlined the US dependence on fossil fuels and has created considerable interest in alternative energies. However, the solar panels, which had been used to power the White House water heater, didn’t last long. President Ronald Reagan had them removed in 1986 while the roof of the White House was being resurfaced. The first “oil shock” of the 1970s occurred in October 1973, when members of the Organization of Arab Petroleum Exporting Countries (OAPEC) proclaimed an oil embargo in response to American support for Israel in the Yom Kippur War. The second “oil shock” occurred in 1979, triggered by the Iranian revolution.
Solar energy, forward and reverse:
OAPEC declared the 1973 oil embargo against Canada, Japan, the Netherlands, the United Kingdom and the United States.
Half of the solar panels that once generated power in the White House were later installed on the roof of the Unity College cafeteria in Maine.
President Barack Obama, who has made environmental issues central to his presidency, reinstalled solar panels in the White House in 2010.
Protect your devices with Threat Protection by NordVPN
