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Railroads
In the 1800s, coal was the fuel for the railroad industry -
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Energy Timespan
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Street Lights
In 1816 Baltimore, Maryland became the first city in America to use street lights that are lit by gas made from coal -
Wood
In 1860 wood was the most popular fuel for heating homes and cooking. Businesses also relied on wood. -
Thomas Edison
In 1882 Thomas Edison started the first coal-fired power station in New York. It supplied electricity to light households -
Model T
In 1908 Henry Ford created the first successful car. It was called the Model T and could run on gasoline or ethanol. -
Natural Gas
In 1912 the first liquefied natural gas plant opened in West Virginia -
Petroleum
In 1915 the first petroleum refinery was opened in California -
Oil
In 1921 oil was discovered in Signal Hill, California.
This became an oil field. -
Cleveland
In 1941 the first liquefaction plant was opened in Cleveland, Ohio. -
Cars
Since cars were so popular, oil was the most used energy source in the 1950s. -
Nuclear Power
In 1957 the first nuclear power plant was opened in Pennsylvania. -
Popular Energy Source
In 1984 nuclear power became the second-largest electricity source in the U.S. -
General Motors
In 1990 General Motors introduced one of the first electric cars. It was called "The Impact"