Jimmy Carter Continues His Green Energy Legacy With 10-Acre Solar Farm

[DonViejo]

Former President Jimmy Carter leased 10 acres of his land to Atlanta-based SolAmerica to develop a 1.3-megawatt solar farm in his hometown of Plains, Georgia. An opening ceremony was held Feb. 8 to launch the project, which is projected to produce more than 55 million kilowatt-hours of energy in the next 25 years. The project will provide more than half of the power needs for the 683 residents.

The 1.3-megawatt solar farm in Plains, Georgia.

By leasing his land, the 39th president continues his legacy of support for renewable energy. In 1979, Carter installed 32 solar panels on the White House, amid the Arab oil embargo, which caused a national energy crisis. According to the White House Historical Association, Carter ordered the solar panels as part of a campaign to conserve energy and to set an example for the American people. President Reagan removed the solar panels from the White House in 1981. In 2014, President Obama installed a new solar photovoltaic system on the roof, which generates 6.3 kilowatts of electricity for the White House.

In addition to installing 32 solar panels to heat water at the White House many decades ago, President Carter was also responsible for creating the Department of Energy and the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission, and signing the Public Utility Regulatory Act.

Construction for Carter's new project began in October 2016 and includes 3,852 panels. Georgia Power has agreed to buy the electricity generated by the system.

more
http://www.ecowatch.com/jimmy-carter-solar-farm-2253275469.html

[procon]

1. Carter was a true visionary when he installed solar panels on the White House.

Jimmy Carter installed solar panels in the late 1970s and Ronald Reagan had them removed. We were on the leading edge of developing a new technology that went on to sweep across the world, creating jobs and helping the environment... for other countries. Republicans and their shortsighted love affair with oil industry money have set us back decades.