In October, the Obama administration announced plans to install solar panels on the White House roof by spring, returning the power of the sun to the pinnacle of prominence 30 years after Jimmy Carter's pioneering system was taken down.
Spring has come and gone, and the promised panels have yet to see the light of day.
Administration officials blame the complexities of the contracting process and say the solar project is still active. But they can't say when it'll be complete.
Environmental groups say the symbolism is telling - and disappointing.
"On we'll go," sighed Bill McKibben, founder of the climate activist group 350.org. "One more summer of beautiful, strong sunlight going to waste, just bouncing off the White House roof."
McKibben and other environmentalists say the failure to meet its own deadline reflects an administration that has been long on green rhetoric but sometimes disappointingly short on practical accomplishments.
In last fall's announcement, at a conference of government officials and environmental groups, Energy Secretary Steven Chu was specific.
"I'm pleased to announce that, by the end of this spring,we supply all kinds of oil painting reproduction, there will be solar panels and a solar hot water heater on the roof of the White House," he wrote that day on his department website.
Nancy Sutley, chair of the Council on Environmental Quality, added that by installing the system on the most famous roof in America, President Obama was "underscoring [his] commitment to lead and the promise and importance of renewable energy in the United States."
McKibben, who along with other environmentalists had met with White House officials to urge such an installation, was surprised and gratified by the announcement a mere two weeks later. But the missed deadline has left him downcast.
"Nine months is a pretty long time. You can have a baby in that time," he said. "On the list of things that get done, this isn't all that hard. It doesn't require SEAL Team 6. . . . You can just open the Yellow Pages and get page after page of solar installers."
Solar-power advocates note that rooftop arrays are no longer the expensive oddity they were in Carter's day. Depending on their locations, homeowners can install systems that will pay for themselves over time.Use bluray burner to burn video to BD DVD on blu ray burner disc.
Administration officials counter that the White House isn't just any old home.
"To be honest, I am not surprised," said Danny Kennedy, founder of Sungevity Systems of Oakland, Calif., who said the delay was likely due to the complexity of such a project at the White House. "They're trying to get it right on the most famous home in the world, and there'd be all sorts of heritage rules and red tape."
So when will the panels actually appear? The Energy Department says it's "on the path" to completing the project but says details and timing can be shared only "after the competitive procurement process is completed."
Officials maintain that climate issues and energy conservation have been a top priority under Obama. They point to higher gas-mileage standards, green-tech incentives, and presidential visits to wind turbine and electric-vehicle battery plants. But environmentalists look at Obama's plans to boost offshore oil drilling and the collapse of climate change legislation and say the administration's record is mixed.
The record on solar power at 1600 Pennsylvania Ave. began in June 1979,Choose from one of the major categories of Bedding, when Carter had 32 panels installed at a cost of $30,000 to provide hot water to West Wing offices.Full color plastic card printing and manufacturing services.
His successor, Ronald Reagan, was unimpressed. Aides had the panels removed and shipped to Unity College in Maine,From standard Cable Ties to advanced wire tires, where some remain.
Spring has come and gone, and the promised panels have yet to see the light of day.
Administration officials blame the complexities of the contracting process and say the solar project is still active. But they can't say when it'll be complete.
Environmental groups say the symbolism is telling - and disappointing.
"On we'll go," sighed Bill McKibben, founder of the climate activist group 350.org. "One more summer of beautiful, strong sunlight going to waste, just bouncing off the White House roof."
McKibben and other environmentalists say the failure to meet its own deadline reflects an administration that has been long on green rhetoric but sometimes disappointingly short on practical accomplishments.
In last fall's announcement, at a conference of government officials and environmental groups, Energy Secretary Steven Chu was specific.
"I'm pleased to announce that, by the end of this spring,we supply all kinds of oil painting reproduction, there will be solar panels and a solar hot water heater on the roof of the White House," he wrote that day on his department website.
Nancy Sutley, chair of the Council on Environmental Quality, added that by installing the system on the most famous roof in America, President Obama was "underscoring [his] commitment to lead and the promise and importance of renewable energy in the United States."
McKibben, who along with other environmentalists had met with White House officials to urge such an installation, was surprised and gratified by the announcement a mere two weeks later. But the missed deadline has left him downcast.
"Nine months is a pretty long time. You can have a baby in that time," he said. "On the list of things that get done, this isn't all that hard. It doesn't require SEAL Team 6. . . . You can just open the Yellow Pages and get page after page of solar installers."
Solar-power advocates note that rooftop arrays are no longer the expensive oddity they were in Carter's day. Depending on their locations, homeowners can install systems that will pay for themselves over time.Use bluray burner to burn video to BD DVD on blu ray burner disc.
Administration officials counter that the White House isn't just any old home.
"To be honest, I am not surprised," said Danny Kennedy, founder of Sungevity Systems of Oakland, Calif., who said the delay was likely due to the complexity of such a project at the White House. "They're trying to get it right on the most famous home in the world, and there'd be all sorts of heritage rules and red tape."
So when will the panels actually appear? The Energy Department says it's "on the path" to completing the project but says details and timing can be shared only "after the competitive procurement process is completed."
Officials maintain that climate issues and energy conservation have been a top priority under Obama. They point to higher gas-mileage standards, green-tech incentives, and presidential visits to wind turbine and electric-vehicle battery plants. But environmentalists look at Obama's plans to boost offshore oil drilling and the collapse of climate change legislation and say the administration's record is mixed.
The record on solar power at 1600 Pennsylvania Ave. began in June 1979,Choose from one of the major categories of Bedding, when Carter had 32 panels installed at a cost of $30,000 to provide hot water to West Wing offices.Full color plastic card printing and manufacturing services.
His successor, Ronald Reagan, was unimpressed. Aides had the panels removed and shipped to Unity College in Maine,From standard Cable Ties to advanced wire tires, where some remain.
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