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|1=zh-twhant:詹姆士;zh-hans:詹姆斯;zh-hk:占士;|2=zh-twhant:吉米;zh-hans:吉米;zh-hk:占美;

1952年10月16日，卡特调入美國第一批核動力潛艇的研究工作，在华盛顿特区[[美国原子能委员会]]的Naval Reactors Branch工作了3个月。其間，研究項目負責人、後來被譽為「美國核潛艇之父」的[[海曼·里科弗|-{zh-hans:海曼·里科弗;zh-hk:海曼·李高佛;zh-sg:海曼·里科弗;zh-twhant:海曼·李高佛;}-]]上校，對他影響極大。-{zh-hans:里科弗;zh-hk:李高佛;zh-sg:里科弗;zh-twhant:李高佛;}-是位勤奮出名和對下屬要求極嚴格的人，在他的栽培下，卡特很快成了[[核反應爐]]技術專家，同時，他對卡特的嚴格要求，使得卡特在以後的日子，做任何事情都全力以赴。1952年12月12日，[[加拿大原子能公司]]的{{tsl|en|Chalk River Laboratories|乔克河实验室}}发生了堆芯熔化，数百万升高放废水淹没了地下室。卡特被派遣领导一支美国维护队伍，协助关闭该反应堆。美、加两国抢险人员必须身穿防护服（防止阿尔法辐射沾染）进入高通量堆芯工作数分钟以拆解反应堆部件。卡特后来在总统任期与卸任后，这一经历让他坚定了对原子能的态度，促使他签署总统令停止研制[[中子弹]]。卡特作为反应堆事故抢险人员，随后一年接受排泄物放射性检测与医学观察，为处于萌芽期的[[核医学]]提供临床数据。

在1977年4月18日，卡特發表電視講話宣布現今美國所面對的能源危機是戰爭的道德代價（moral equivalent of war）。他呼籲所有美國公民節能減碳並在白宮安裝了[[太陽能熱水板]]<ref name="[NSC簡訊] 環保白宮　明春裝太陽能板">[http://cets.ncku.edu.tw/files/16-1273-71416.php?Lang=zh-twhant]{{dead link|date=2017年12月 |bot=InternetArchiveBot |fix-attempted=yes }}，前總統卡特和小布希在任時，都曾在白宮開發太陽能源。卡特在1970年代後期曾斥資3萬元，在白宮西翼安裝了太陽能熱水系統。布希時代的太陽能源系統為一棟後勤建築提供電力，也為游泳池提供熱水。</ref>，並時常穿著[[毛衣]]以抵消白宮[[暖氣]]調低所減少的熱量<ref name="Jimmy Carter's Cardigan">{{Cite web |url=http://content.time.com/time/specials/packages/article/0,28804,2103934_2103935_2103943,00.html |title=Jimmy Carter's Cardigan - Top 10 Political Fashion Statements - TIME |quote=What caught the attention of viewers that night wasn't necessarily what Carter said, but what he wore: an unbuttoned beige wool cardigan, to stay warm after turning down the heat to conserve energy.}}</ref>，可同時安裝太陽能板的行為也被部分媒體批評所費不貲<ref name="Days of 'Malaise' and Jimmy Carter's Solar Panels">{{Cite web |url=http://www.foxnews.com/opinion/2010/10/08/craig-shirley-jimmy-carter-white-house-energy-crisis-solar-panels-ronald-reagan.html |title=Days of 'Malaise' and Jimmy Carter's Solar Panels |quote=-{The solar panels were originally “supposed to cost” the taxpayers “$24,000 to install and would cut utility bills by $1,000 a year to start.” Imagine that. Carter’s plan was for the panels to pay for themselves in 24 years! Even that platy went awry however, as Cousin Hugh could not find anyone to install them for less than $28,000 and, to accommodate the ugly White Elephant, another $7,000 would have to be spent tearing up the White House roof!}- }}</ref>，而太陽能熱水板也在1986年被時任總統[[隆納·雷根]]下令拆除，而後轉給位於[[緬因州]]的一所學院的食堂安置。<ref name="White House Solar Panels: What Ever Happened To Carter's Solar Thermal Water Heater? (VIDEO)">[http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2009/01/27/white-house-solar-panels_n_160575.html]，This symbolic installation was taken down in 1986 during the Reagan presidency. In 1991, Unity College, an environmentally centered college in Maine acquired the panels and later installed them on their cafeteria.</ref>