1 sun thing: Trump White House still has solar panels
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Illustration: Rebecca Zisser/Axios
The White House is (still) getting energy from solar panels that President Trump's predecessors put on its roof, Axios has learned.
Why it matters: The panels have somehow endured through Trump's criticism of renewable energy and his Democratic predecessors.
Driving the news: Axios reached out to the White House as part of a story about how oil-price spikes — like those following the Iran war — typically set off debates about consumers moving toward electric cars and solar panels.
Flashback: President Jimmy Carter first put solar panels on the White House following the 1970s oil crisis in a direct nod to domestic energy security.
- His successor, Ronald Reagan, removed them a few years later.
- Fast forward a few decades. President George W. Bush's administration added solar back to heat water and a swimming pool. When President Barack Obama moved in, another set went up on the roof.
State of play: Trump didn't remove them during his first administration. And they remain there today.
- In addition to confirmation from the White House, they're visible from Google satellite images.
- A White House spokesperson wouldn't comment on whether there are any plans to remove them or otherwise update them.
Between the lines: Although Trump has been critical of solar power, he has directed most of his — largely unfounded — criticism toward wind power, especially offshore wind.
The intrigue: Solar has recently gained some new supporters among MAGA influencers, including Katie Miller, wife of deputy chief of staff Stephen Miller.
What we're watching: Whether the rooftop of the new ballroom might sport any panels.
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