Alternative energy

Historical Energy Events - 5.8

By zvisco

  • Street Lights in Maryland

    Street Lights in Maryland
    In Baltimore, Maryland, street lights are lit using gas made from coal. It becomes the first city in the country to do so. A month later, Rembrandt Peale is given permission to lay gas lines for street lights in the rest of the city.

  • Edwin Drake Finds Oil

    Edwin Drake Finds Oil
    In 1859, Edwin Drake drilled for oil in Titusville, Pennsylvania. he pioneered the drilling industry by developing a new way to drill for oil.

  • Thomas Edison Invents the Lightbulb

    Thomas Edison Invents the Lightbulb
    Thomas Edison created the first successful lightbulb. He used a carbon filament. His first successful test lasted 40 hours.

  • First Hydroelectric Dam

    First Hydroelectric Dam
    The first hydroelectric dam began operating in the United States. The Schoelkopf Power Station No. 1 began operating near Niagra Falls on the U.S. side. The plant started a rapid increase in hydroelectric dam production in the United States. By 1889 there were 200 hydroelectric dams operating in the United States alone.

  • Henry Ford Introduces the Model T

    Henry Ford Introduces the Model T
    Henry Ford produced the first affordable automobile. The Model T ran on oil.

  • First Geothermal Plant

    First Geothermal Plant
    John D. Grant drills a well near San Francisco and builds the first geothermal power plant in the United States. His plants were able to produce 250 kilowatts. This was enough energy to power his hotel and resort.

  • First Megawatt Wind Turbine

    First Megawatt Wind Turbine
    The wind turbine was installed in Vermont. It had the capability of producing 1.25 megawatts. It remained the largest wind turbine ever built until 1979.

  • First Solar Cells

    First Solar Cells
    Researchers invented first solar cells capable of harnessing the sun's energy. The cells could convert sunlight directly into electricity. The technology was first used in space to power satellites.

  • First Commercial Nuclear Power Plant

    First Commercial Nuclear Power Plant
    The United State's first commercial nuclear power plant was opened in Shippingport, Pennsylvania. The plant split uranium atoms to produce energy.

  • First Mass-Produced Electric Car

    First Mass-Produced Electric Car
    General Motors released the first mass produced electric car. As a result, the California Air Resources Board mandated that in order for the top seven car companies to continue selling in California they must produce emission-free cars. This came at a time when California's air quality was the worst in the nation.