-
During the late 18th century, the newborn country of the United States mainly depended on burning firewood for energy. During this time, the country was mainly agrarian-focused and relied heavily on the abundant forests surrounding the civilizations.
-
As industrialization increased and the Industrial Revoluation raved on, coal had concealed the use of firewood completely. It was easy to obtain and offered more benefits that wood burning did. However, the early Americans didn't consider the ramifications of burning coal for energy.
-
As settlers moved west, they gravitated toward natrually heated hot springs in the western part of the present day United States. However, it wasnt until the 1860's that the first homes and dwellings were built near these hot springs to harvest their energy for heat.
-
In 1881, the world's first hydroelectric plant was built in Appleton, Wisconsin. Here, where wheels used to grind corn, a new source of energy and power was being generated: hydroelectric.
-
In 1954, inventors at Bell Labs designed the first photovoltaic cell that was and still is capable of generating enough energy for use of electrical equipment. From this cell, research and development of energy achievable from the sun took off.
-
It was on this date that the Shippingport Atomic Power Station produced its first electrical power. It was the world's first nuclear plant devoted solely to peaceful purposes, located in Pennsylvania about 25 miles from Pittsburgh. It operated fully for 25 years, and was decommisioned October 1, 1982.
-
In 1960, the country built its first large-scale geothermal plant near the San Fransisco area in close relation to a region called "The Geysers." This plant continues to work today and is currently the largest geothermal processing plant in the world.
-
In 1964, NASA launched their first Nimbus spacecraft, the first satellite powered by solar energy,.
-
In 1974, the American Wind Energy Association was formed to promote wind energy as a clean source of power for consumers in the United States and throughout the world.
-
The U.S. Department of Energy’s (DOE) National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL) started projects that will test many new technologies associated with wind power technologies. These findings may enhance the nation's view on the potential of wind power. “The projects announced today demonstrate the shared commitment of the federal government and the private sector to achieve 20 percent wind energy by 2030,” said DOE Assistant Secretary Alexander Karsner.
