Solar Energy

Yellow button with red text in the center going in a circle and around it is the image of a sun.

Though the 1970's saw a rising environmental movement following the publication of Rachel Carson's Silent Spring, interest in solar energy didn't really gain traction until 1973. An embargo by the OAPEC caused the price of oil to quadruple over the span of a year, resulting in an oil crisis and national shortages. It raised serious questions about the United States's complete dependence on oil for power. In 1974, Nixon signed the Energy Supply and Environmental Coordination Act, which attempted to regulate the environmental impacts of US energy demands. One of the possible solutions for lessening the use of oil was solar power. Enthusiasm for clean energy continued into the 1980's with further legislation passed to financially incentivize businesses to invest in solar paneling. Today, the U.S. is ranked second in the world for solar use, but it still only accounts for 2.30% of total U.S. electricity.