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First Commercial Coal Production in US Begins in Richmond, Virginia
The first commercial coal production began from mines in Richmond, Virginia. It was first used to manufacture war products during the Revolutionary War. r. -
First natural gas well in US is drilled
In 1821, the first well intended to obtain natural gas was dug in Fredonia, New York, by William Hart. After noticing gas bubbles rising to the surface of a creek, Hart dug a 27 foot well to try and obtain a larger flow of gas to the surface. Hart is regarded by many as the 'father of natural gas' in America
Primarily used as a source of light at first -
First Hydrogen Fuel Cell Developed to Generate Electricity
In 1800, British scientists William Nicholson and Anthony Carlisle had described the process of using electricity to decompose water into hydrogen and oxygen. But combining the gases to produce electricity and water was, according to Grove, 'a step further that any hitherto recorded.' Grove realized that by combining several sets of these electrodes in a series circuit he might 'effect the decomposition of water by means of its composition.' He soon accomplished this feat with the device he name -
John D. Rockefeller Forms Standard Oil and Develops Petroleum as a Major Energy Source in the US
After the American Civil War, the increasing discovery of petroleum resources became more popular, attracting the interests of John D. Rockefeller. Rockefeller formed the Standard Oil Company of Ohio in 1870. Due to Rockefeller's efforts and developments, petroleum became the primary energy source not only in the U.S., but for societies around the world -
First Electric Plant Built by Thomas Edison in New York
In New York he [Thomas Edison] built the first commercial electric utility near Wall Street... At 3pm on September 4, 1882, Edison threw the switch that would start up America's first power plant, serving a square-mile area that included some very wealthy and influential customers: J.P. Morgan, the Stock Exchange, and the nation's largest newspapers -
First Windmill to Generate Electricity Developed in Cleveland, Ohio
The Windmill, developed in Ohio, allowed for a new "modern" way of harnessing wind power to generate electricity. -
The "Free Alcohol Bill" Is Signed to Promote the Use of Alcohol as an Alternative to Gasoline
This measure provides that alcohol manufactured for use in the arts or industries shall be free from the internal revenue tax when so treated as to be made a poison and so unfit for drinking. It is designed to start a great industry that will furnish cheap fuel for many purposes for which gasoline is now used. -
Hoover Dam, the World's Largest Hydroelectric Power Plant, Is Built
Hoover Dam is completed on the Colorado River in Arizona in 1935, four years after construction began in 1931. At the time of its completion, the Hoover Dam was the largest hydroelectric producer in the world. The dam remains the largest producer of hydroelectricity in the world until 1948. -
First Silicon Solar Cell Developed at Bell Laboratories
In 1953, Bell Laboratories (now AT&T labs) scientists Gerald Pearson, Daryl Chapin and Calvin Fuller developed the first silicon solar cell capable of generating a measurable electric current. The New York Times reported the discovery as 'the beginning of a new era, leading eventually to the realization of harnessing the almost limitless energy of the sun for the uses of civilization.'" -
First Commercial Scale Geothermal Electric Plants in the US Built in California
The first geothermal power plants in the U.S. were built in 1962 at The Geysers dry steam field, in northern California. It is still the largest producing geothermal field in the world."
