Former U.S. President Jimmy Carter Built a Solar Farm in His Hometown That Powers Half the City

Former U.S. President Jimmy Carter, who was one of the earliest advocates for using renewable energy, installed water heating solar panels on the roof of the White House in 1979, during his administration. Unfortunately, the next President, Ronald Reagan, ordered them to be removed, as he had a different take on energy consumption. However, that didn’t hinder Carter’s dedication to providing clean, efficient energy to the public. In 2017, the 94-year-old leased 10 acres of land near his hometown in Plains, Georgia, to be used as an epic solar farm.

Comprising 3,852 panels, Carter's solar field now generates 1.3 MW of power per year, providing 50% of the small town's electricity needs (that's the equivalent of burning about 3,600 tons of coal). “Distributed, clean energy generation is critical to meeting growing energy needs around the world while fighting the effects of climate change,” says Carter. “I am encouraged by the tremendous progress that solar and other clean energy solutions have made in recent years and expect those trends to continue.”

Carter worked together with Atlanta-based energy company SolAmerica to make his solar field a reality. “There remains a great deal of untapped potential in renewable energy in Georgia and elsewhere in the U.S.,” says SolAmerica executive Vice President George Mori. “We believe distributed solar projects like the Plains project will play a big role in fueling the energy needs of generations to come.”

The ambitious project symbolizes Carter’s personal commitment to renewable energy and pays homage to his first solar panel installation in 1979. The 39th president’s 32 White House solar panels are currently on display at The Smithsonian Institute, the Carter Library, and the Solar Science and Technology Museum in Dezhou, China.

Former U.S. President Jimmy Carter leased 10 acres of land near his hometown in Plains, Georgia, to be used as an epic solar farm.

The ambitious project pays homage to his first solar panel installation at the White House in 1979.

 

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Comprising 3,852 panels, Carter's solar farm now provides 50% of the small town's electricity needs.

h/t: [Reddit]

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Emma Taggart

Emma Taggart is a Contributing Writer at My Modern Met. Originally from Northern Ireland, she is an artist now based in Berlin. After graduating with a BA in Fashion and Textile Design in 2013, Emma decided to combine her love of art with her passion for writing. Emma has contributed to various art and culture publications, with an aim to promote and share the work of inspiring modern creatives. While she writes every day, she’s also devoted to her own creative outlet—Emma hand-draws illustrations and is currently learning 2D animation.
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