When the Reagans moved into the White House in 1981, they inherited 32 solar panels generating carbon-free electricity on the West Wing roof. Five years later, President Reagan inexplicably had the free, clean energy sources removed.
Here is a video we created on the issue:
President Obama reinstalled solar panels in 2010. But did you ever wonder how much damage was done in those 24 years? We did.
The average solar panel from the era produces approximately 1.05 kWh of energy every day. Multiply by Reagan’s 32 solar panels and you get 33.6 kWh of clean energy every day — for free. 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.
Or in more relatable terms, according to EPA’s Greenhouse Gas calculator, unnecessary White House waste in that time was equal to:
218,002 Pounds of coal burned!
And that’s on top of wasting thousands of taxpayer dollars every year, plus the cost of removal and reinstalling. Did we mention this was FREE energy? (We’re looking at you, “fiscal conservatives.”)
This is emblematic of why we are where we are today. The good news is Reagan is the past. It’s on all of us to ensure clean energy is the future.
Did you know that anyone in the U.S. can now choose green power at home? Check it Out.
