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William Symington Creates Steamboat
British engineer William Symington developed a practical steamboat for towing barges on the Forth and Clyde Canal in Scotland. In 1807, the American inventor Robert Fulton successfully demonstrated his steamboat by making a run between New York City and Albany on the Hudson River. -
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Historical Energy Timeline
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Jacob Perkins invents a Radiator
Jacob Perkins invents a radiator for use with hot water central heating. -
Solar Radiation
The earliest known record of the direct conversion of solar radiation into mechanical power belongs to Auguste Mouchout. By the following year he was granted the first patent for a motor running on solar power and continued to improve his design until about 1880. During this period the inventor laid the foundation for our modern understanding of converting solar radiation into mechanical steam power. -
Alternate Current
Nikola Tesla develops A.C. (alternate current) generators enabling electricity to be transmitted longer distances. The first plant is built on the Willamette River near Oregon City, Ore. Later that year, A.C. generators are introduced to Santa Barbara, Visalia, Pasadena and Highgrove hydroelectric plants. -
Charles Steinmetz
Charles Proteus Steinmetz warns in Future of Electricity about air pollution from burning coal and water pollution from uncontrolled sewage disposal into rivers. -
First Nuclear Reactor
The first nuclear reactor in England goes into operation at Windscale. -
Geothermal
UNOCAL builds the country's first flash geothermal plant, generating 10 MW at Brawley, California. -
Electricity
Instead of going down, as deregulation supporters had hoped, wholesale electricity rates in California begin to rise - as much as 300%. -
Energy Commission
The Energy Commission approved the Burbank power plant, bringing the total of licensed power plants since 1999 to 36. Of those, 18 were online producing 4,976 megawatts. Another 14 plants were awaiting licensing. -
Biomass
One company AGRA Biofuels has announced that it will build no less than 11 biodiesel plants in Pennsylvania in the next five years. Another company, Keystone Biofuels has a new plant there that
