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Period: to
Energy Use in the United States
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Street Lighting
David Melville obtained a patent for his apparatus for making coal gas, which was used for street lighting. -
Incandescent Lamps
William Robert Grove lights an auditorium with incandescent lamps made of platinum coils. -
A.C. Generators (day/month unknown)
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. -
Offshore Drilling (day/month unknown)
The first offshore oil wells are drilled in 1900 in the United States. -
Geothermal Energy (day/month unknown)
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. -
U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (day/month unknown)
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. -
The Impact (day unknown)
The Impact, an electric automobile, is created by General Motors and showcased at the Greater L.A. Show. -
Electricity Rates Soar (day unknown)
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. -
Burbank Power Plant (day unknown)
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. -
Record Gas Prices (exact day unknown)
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.)
