It was primarily a symbolic gesture. Way back in 1979, in the midst of an energy crisis, Jimmy Carter had solar panels installed on the roof of the White House. They were used to heat water for some White House staffers.

“A generation from now,” said Mr. Carter, “this solar heater can either be a curiosity, a museum piece, an example of a road not taken, or it can be a small part of one of the greatest and most exciting adventures ever undertaken by the American people, harnessing the power of the sun to enrich our lives as we move away from our crippling dependence on foreign oil.”

Ronald Reagan had the panels taken down.

Excerpted from the February 13, 2010 op-ed in the New York Times.

Here are a few facts that are staggering in relation to this issue:

Canada is America’s largest supplier of oil.

America reached its peak oil production in 1970 and has been in steady decline ever since.

America’s consumption of oil reached its peaked during the energy crisis of 1979 at over 21,000 barrels per day.  It exceeded this level beginning in 2006.  The current economic recession has had a big impact on consumption, now hovering just over 19,000 barrels per day.

The US ranks 7th in energy consumption per capita after Canada and a number of small countries.