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First Electric Plant Built
Thomas Edison built the first electrical power plant that powered a square mile. -
First Nuclear Power Reactor to Generate Electricity Built in Idaho
Staff member of Argonne National Laboratory designed and built a nuclear reactor which could power 4 100-watt light bulbs. -
US Congress Passes Atomic Energy Act of 1954
the act ended the government monopoly on technical data and made the growth of a private commercial nuclear industry an urgent national goal. It assigned the AEC 3 roles: to continue its weapons program, to promote the private use of atomic energy for peaceful applications, and to protect public health and safety from the hazards of commercial nuclear power. -
Formation of OPEC
OPEC’s objective is to coordinate and unify petroleum policies among member countries, in order to secure fair and stable prices for petroleum producers. -
President Carter Delivers Speech Arguing for Conservation and Alternative Fuels
in his speech he details how the US is facing an imminent energy shortage and argues that the country must make profound changes in the way it uses energy. -
Department of Energy Organization Act is signed, creating the US Department of Energy
the escalating global energy issues convinced the US government to focus more of energy programs, which led to the creation of the US department of energy -
Solar Photovoltaic Energy Research, Development, and Demonstration Act of 1978
the goal of the bill was to make electricity from photovoltaic systems economically competitive with energy from conventional sources. -
World’s First Wind Farm Built in New Hampshire
it consisted of 20 wind turbines at 30 kilowatts each. -
Congress Passes Act to Stimulate Development of Hydrogen Power
officially called the spark m. Matsunaga Hydrogen Research, Development, and Demonstration Act of 1990, the goal of the bill was to accelerate efforts to develop a domestic capability to economically produce hydrogen in quantities that will reduce the nations’ needs for conventional fuels. -
The World’s Largest Concentrated Solar Power Generation Plant Goes Online
Named Ivanpah, the plant harnesses the abundant sunlight of the Southwest United States to provide power of a massive scale. The plant has the capacity to power 94,400 average American homes.
