On April 18, 1977, Carter delivered a televised speech declaring that the U.S. energy crisis during the 1970s was like war. He supported energy conservation by all Americans and added solar water heating panels on the White House. He wore sweaters because he turned down the heat in the White House. On August 4, 1977, Carter signed the Department of Energy Organization Act of 1977, forming the Department of Energy, the first new cabinet position in eleven years. During the signing ceremony, Carter said the current "crisis of energy shortages" made him create the Department of Energy. At the start of a September 1977 news conference, Carter said that the House of Representatives had "adopted almost all" of the energy proposal. The following month, on October 13, Carter stated he believed in the Senate's ability to pass the energy reform bill and said that "the most important domestic issue that we will face while I am in office" was the energy criss.