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The first natural gas well is drilled in a town in New York State.
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The first oil well ever was drilled in Pennsylvania.
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In Pennsylvania, the first long distance natural gas pipeline was created. It was 5 miles long and 2 inches wide. A pipeline was built in NY in the same year. Natural gas was used to power many things and being able to transport it efficiently was an important event.
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The Alternating Current (AC) system of electrical generation is invented by Nikola Tesla. It becomes a standard of electricity over the next few decades.
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In Cleveland, Ohio, the first windmill to produce electricity was created. It was carried out according to the plans of Charles Brush and it was used to power his home and basement.
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In Boise, Idaho, the first building ever was powered by geothermal energy.
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A lot of research about the benefits of ethanol (alcohol fuel) versus petroleum fuels started surfacing. This research was done by both Columbia University and Edison Electric Testing Laboratory. They found ethanol to be more efficient in an internal combustion engine. This research seriously considered for 2 more years.
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After 4 years of construction, the Hoover dam was built in the Colorado river in Arizona. It was the largest hydroelectric producer in the world for more than 10 years.
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The first nuclear energy plants popped up in Pennsylvania. It soon accounted for 20% of the electricity of the United States.
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In the 1980s scientists began to gather evidence that climate change that could have very negative effects on the environment was being caused by the burning of fossil fuels.
