Solar panels and solar water heater are set to be installed on the rooftop of the White House in the spring of 2011.
U.S. Secretary of Energy Steven Chu said the White House made the decision in order to lead by example and show Americans that solar technology is available, reliable, and accessible throughout the country.
The Obama administration has received increased pressure to set example and raise the bar for Americans by adopting clean energy technologies on the president's property. Last month a group of global warming activists, organized by 350.org, descended on Washington urging the President to install solar power on the White House. The campaigners were told it was not the right time. Well, it appears today is.
President Obama's solar installation will not be the first on the White House property. In the late 1970s, President Jimmy Carter installed a solar water heater and solar panels on the property. The panels were removed by the Reagan administration. George W. Bush also employed solar energy during his eight-year tenure as President. Bush's solar systems powered the maintenance building, some of the mansion, and also heated the pool.
Solar Energy Industries Association President Rhone Resch said today's announcement is extremely valuable: "Putting solar on the roof of the nation's most important real estate is a powerful symbol calling on all Americans to rethink how we generate electricity.
Image credit: UpstateNYer via Wikimedia Commons
Nathanael Baker is the Managing Editor of EnergyBoom. He has researched and reported on the issues of renewable energy, sustainability, and climate change for over two years. He has provided research to the New York Times and The Economist, as well as being published on different media outlets including, The Energy Collective.
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