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Standard Oil usage becomes popular
John D. Rockefeller monopolized the oil industry and made it the most popular energy source in the US in the late 1800's and early 1900's until the Standard Oil Company was broken up in 1911. During this time period, oil replaced the usage of coal as an energy source and was primarily used in lamps and internal combustion engines. Petroleum was harvested from wells and distilled into kerosene to be used as a major energy source. Photo by: Bernard Tuck on Unsplash -
Coal makes a comeback - now it's used for electricity!
The usage of coal for various functions has been around for centuries. In the US, coal was first discovered and used in 1673. Since then, coal was used for powering steam engines and factories. Though, in the 1880's, this fossil fuel was first burned and used for electricity. The energy from coal was used to power homes and factories, and because of this, coal was making a major comeback in the US as oil use for energy was on the rise. Photo by: Juan Encalada on Unsplash -
The world's first hydroelectric power plant
The world's very first hydroelectric power plant was built and operated in the US along the Fox River in Wisconsin. This came a few decades after James Francis invented the modern water turbine, and these were used in the first hydroelectric power plant. Like all hydroelectric dams today, water behind the dam passes through an intake and causes turbines to spin, and this causes a generator to spin, producing electricity. Photo by: American Public Power Association on Unsplash -
America gets its first geothermal power plant
John D. Grant drilled a well at The Geysers in California and successfully utilized the heat from the earth in creating electricity. From this, he created the first geothermal power plant in the US. He continued to drill wells at The Geysers, using their heat until the plant eventually was producing 250 kilowatts of electricity. Years later, this energy was marketed to the public and the technology in which geothermal energy was derived was refined. -
The Hoover Dam is built
The Hoover Dam was built in Nevada as an effort to control the Colorado River as it was causing problems for local farmers. Later, however, the US Bureau of Reclamation had intents to make it hydroelectric as well. Building the dam was a massive project and was named after President Herbert Hoover as a dedication to his presidency and the impressiveness of the project. Today, the dam produces about 4 billion kWh of hydroelectric power each year. Photo by: Elisabeth Lindsay on Unsplash -
Chicago Pile-1 - the world's first nuclear reactor
Chicago Pile-1 was built by Enrico Fermi and a team of scientists in order to measure the neutron emission from fission. This relatively small reactor was built at the University of Chicago and was successful on its first test, generating 0.5 watts of power. Ultimately, the reactor produced 200 watts of power and was the first source of nuclear energy. The reactor was rebuilt with radiation protection concrete years after, renamed "Chicago Pile-2." Photo by: Frédéric Paulussen on Unsplash -
Silicon solar cells are discovered
American scientists Calvin Fuller, Gerald Pearson, and Daryl Chapin discovered the silicon solar cell. This cell proved to be far more efficient than previous solar cells used in the 1880's. This solar cell produced more electricity and could successfully run small electrical devices. It would soon be sold to the public as an energy source, however, the price of the solar cells was far too expensive, therefore solar energy was not yet popularized in the US. Photo by: Mariana Proença on Unsplash -
The US sends a solar-powered satellite to space
Vanguard 1 was the first satellite ever to be powered by solar energy. By utilizing solar energy instead of batteries in a satellite, it could transmit information for many more years (though it stopped transmitting messages in 1964). This led to an interest in solar power for satellites and space crafts in years to come as a source of reliable energy. After this, solar cells would also become more recognized back down on Earth. Photo by: SpaceX on Unsplash -
Crotched Mountain - the world's first wind farm
On Crotched Mountain, NH, the first wind farm was built with 20 turbines, and the farm was built as a pilot project by University of Mass. graduates. The towers were 60 ft. tall and each one produced 30 kW of energy. Though, the turbines were taken down 2 years after they were built due to locational issues. This was the beginning of large-scale wind farms in the US and citizens seemed to like the idea of this renewable energy. Photo by: American Public Power Association on Unsplash -
A limitless supply of clean energy
At MIT, scientists are looking into making plasma fuel hot enough to generate fusion power. The scientists working on the project are trying to imitate the energy-creating processes within the sun and hope to use this energy source in order to completely wipe out the need for fossil fuels. This new nuclear technology is yet to be used for commercial use, but it can be a clean alternative to fossil fuels and could limit the amount of atmospheric pollution. Photo by: Fractal Hassan on Unsplash
