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David Melville obtained a patent for his apparatus for making coal gas, which was used for street lighting.
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William Robert Grove lights an auditorium with incandescent lamps made of platinum coils.
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Nikola Tesla creates alternative current generators so that electricity can be transmitted longer distances; the first plant is started on the Willamette River in Oregon.
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The first offshore oil wells are drilled in 1900 in the United States.
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In Boise, Idaho, geothermal energy is used for commercial greenhouse use for the first time. A 1,000-foot well that was drilled in 1926 is utilized for the project.
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In 1970, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency was created, which was one of the first groups/agencies of it's kind in the U.S.
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The Impact, an electric automobile, is created by General Motors and showcased at the Greater L.A. Show.
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In California, wholesale electricity rates began to increase drastically (by as much as 300%), much to the dismay of the deregulation supporters who had hoped rates would decreased instead.
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The Burbank Power Plant is approved in 2003 by the Energy Commission. At this point, there are 36 licensed power plants with 14 more power plants also in existence but awaiting licensure.
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In 2005, gas prices soared to a record high because of high prices for crude oil. The highest prices were $2.50 in some states with prices being over $2.00 in every state. (Gas prices have since become higher, but this marked the first huge jump in prices.)
