A black and white photo of President Carter standing at a lectern in front of an array of white solar panels. He is speaking to a crowd and facing just to the left of the camera. The top half of the Presidential Seal is visible on the front of the lectern. Carter is wearing a dark suit and tie with a white shirt.

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1. Robert McNees (mcnees@mastodon.social)'s status on Tuesday, 20-Jun-2023 15:13:31 UTC Robert McNees

   President Carter added water-heating solar panels to the White House #OTD in 1979, to demonstrate an ambitious long term commitment to renewable energy.

   President Reagan, who was vehemently opposed to renewable energy, would later order their removal.

   The panels weren't removed until 1986, though some of the sources I've seen claim that he ordered the removal as early as 1981. Whatever the timeline, Reagan proposed a budget that reduced Federal funding for renewable energy research by 85%.