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In 1626, French Explorers saw Native Americans burning gases that were seeping into what we now call Lake Erie. They discovered the first recorded usage of natural gas in the United States.
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Coal was discovered near Richmond, Virginia. The deposits were found in Manakin on the James River by the Huguenot settlers.
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Oil in the United States was discovered in 1859. A homemade rig was drilling down 70 feet. When it came to the surface, it was coated in oil. The rig was near northwestern Pennsylvania and it was owned by Edwin L. Drake.
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The primary fuel for heating and cooking for homes and businesses was wood. Wood was also used for steam in industries, boats, and trains. It was used to fuel most of what was necessary at the time.
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Thomas Edison invented the incandescent lightbulb after much experimentation. It could be used for up to 40 hours without burning out. Electric lights began to be used for public street lighting in Cleveland, Ohio. Electricity was on the rise.
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The first large windmill was used by Charles F. Brush to generate electricity in Cleveland, Ohio. Windmills begin to adapt to the name of wind turbines and wind power slowly started becoming more popular as time progressed.
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In Italy, the first dry steam geothermal plant was built. It supported the energy needs of several households and powers nearly a million households in Italy today.
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The Boulder/ Hoover Dam began to operate on the Colorado River. It was one of the first U.S. hydropower plants that produced a near 130,000 kilowatts of electricity.
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During World War 2, energy was extremely scarce. Passive solar buildings, buildings that used the sun's energy for heating and cooling of living spaces, became popular in the United States. Solar energy was becoming more popular is it relied on the sun's energy, a never ending source, instead of expensive gas or coal.
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This was the first time that power was generated from a commercial nuclear power plant. This event occurred in Santa Susana, California. Around the same time, the first full-scale nuclear power plant in Pennsylvania began operation.
