Serving the public isn’t limited to politicians or any government employee. You can still help the people in your own way even if you are out of the government office just like Jimmy Carter.
Back in 2017, the former president of the United States decided to build a solar farm.
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He didn’t stop caring about the people from his hometown.
They turned his 10-acre soybean and peanut farm in Plains, Georgia into a solar farm.
From growing soybean and peanut to supplying energy to the majority of households in his hometown.
The 3,852 solar panels produce 1.3 MW of power per year. It supplies power to over half of the town.
Clean and efficient source of energy.
Former President Carter’s solar farm doesn’t just supply power to the residents of Plains, Georgia. Its production of raw energy also prevents a huge number of greenhouse gases from being emitted into the atmosphere.
“Distributed, clean energy generation is critical to meeting growing energy needs around the world while fighting the effects of climate change. 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,” the 39th President of the United States said in a SolAmerica press release.
Carter was a remarkable leader and a true advocate of renewable energy. In fact, during his term as the US President, he installed 32 water heating solar panels on the roof of the White House.
Sadly, when President Ronald Reagan was elected as the new president, those solar panels were removed.
Leaving a mark.
Carter only wanted what was best for the country. He truly believed that solar energy would do great things in the long run.
“In the year 2000 this solar water heater behind me, which is being dedicated today, will still be here supplying cheap, efficient energy. … A generation from now, this solar heater can either be a curiosity, a museum piece, an example of a road not taken or it can be just a small part of one of the greatest and most exciting adventures ever undertaken by the American people.” Former President Carter said in his address to the nation on June 20, 1979.
He knew solar power would be beneficial to a lot of people in the future that’s why he wanted to promote it to secure clean and renewable energy for his beloved countrymen.
At 96 years old, he partnered with an Atlanta-based energy company called SolAmerica.
Decades after his duty as the country’s president, Carter continued serving the public by building a solar farm in his hometown.
“There remains a great deal of untapped potential in renewable energy in Georgia and elsewhere in the U.S,” said George Mori, SolAmerica’s Executive Vice President.
He added, “We believe distributed solar projects like the Plains project will play a big role in fueling the energy needs of generations to come.”
In June of 2017, they also installed 324 solar panels on the Jimmy Carter Presidential Library.
More presidents followed in his footsteps.
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Former Presidents George Bush and Barack Obama also used solar energy during their terms.
Like Carter, Bush installed solar panels at the White House during his presidency. Obama, on the other hand, fulfilled his promise by reinstating a 6.3-kilowatt array of solar panels on the White House roof.
Tesla Motors’ CEO, Elon Musk also made his move in developing technology and products that depend on solar energy.
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This is what a true leader does. Securing not only the present but also the future. Kudos to these great men who believe in the power of clean and renewable energy.
The future is indeed bright with solar energy!
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