White House Solar Panels On, Then Off, U.S. Hedges

The government corrected itself today and said the solar panels put on the White House roof during the energy crunch and Jimmy Carter’s tenure are being removed and won’t be replaced.

Reporters had noticed that the frames were still up, but without the panels, and suspected that the Administration was dismantling something else created by Ronald Reagan’s predecessor.

But on Thursday, a spokesman for the General Services Administration, which runs government-owned buildings, said that that wasn’t the case and that the panels would go back up when the roof work was done.

Today, the spokesman, Joe Slye, reversed himself and said the decision has not been made.

Dale Petroskey, a White House spokesman said, however, that the decision has been made.

“It was decided that, first of all, they are not effective where they are and that the cost of putting them back up would be very unwise, based on the cost,” Petroskey said. He said he could not explain the conflicting earlier statements.

Asked about savings resulting from the panels, which heated White House water, Petroskey replied: “Negligible.”

The panels will be given to the National Park Service, which will find a use for them, he said.