Jimmy Carter's road not taken

Anyone who lived in the 1970s remembers the oil embargoes that shocked the global economy and made Americans acutely aware of energy. On June 20, 1979, President Jimmy Carter dedicated solar panels on the West Wing of the White House which were used to provide hot water. When he took office, President Ronald Reagan quickly removed the panels in a symbolic move. In addition to disconnecting the panels, the Reagan administration dramatically rolled back funding for renewable energy which had begun during the 1970s as a response to the oil crisis. In 2010, the White House announced it will put solar electric and hot-water panels on the White House but they have not yet been put on.