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In the 1700s, the United States was a very agrarian country with forests almost everywhere. Firewood was very important to energy consumption in this time period. Up until 1885, wood was America's primary energy source.
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In the 1800s, coal mines began to open. In 1885, coal surpassed wood as America's primary energy source. Coal is smaller and more portable than wood, and it gives more heat per pound.
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In 1858, the Fredonia Gas Light Company was formed, which was the first natural gas company in America. Natural gas burns cleaner and is more easily transported than coal.
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The first electricity generating windmill was created in Cleveland, Ohio by Charles F. Brush.
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In the 1900s, the use of oil and natural gas grew rapidly. By the mid 1900s, the demand of oil and natural gas surpassed coal. In this time, oil and natural gas were used a lot for space heating, transportation fuels, and generating electricity.
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In the 1900s, petroleum became important because it provides heating and power to commercial and industrial sectors.
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In the 1950s, the commercial production of nuclear power began. In the 70s, production increased rapidly when a lot of nuclear power plants became available.
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Vanguard was the first solar powered satellite in 1958.
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The Toyota Prius is the first hybrid car in the United States. A hybrid car has an electric motor and a gasoline motor that both move the vehicle.
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President Barack Obama signed a Presidential Directive in order to increase access to biofuels in 2009. He also said that $786.5 million will go into research and development of biofuels.
