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First Commercial Coal Production
The first commercial coal production began from mines around Richmond, Virginia. Coal was used to manufacture shot, shell, and other war material during the Revolutionary War. Later, coal was mined from Pennsylvania and was used to heat homes and provide fuel for the military -
First Natural Gas Well Drilled
In 1821, William Hart noticed gas bubbles rising to the surface of a creek in Fredonia, New York. He then dug a 27-foot well to harness the natural gas, and is thus recognized as the "father of natural gas in America". Natural gas was used primarily as a source of lighting during this time -
Coal Becomes Nation's Primary Source of Energy
The United States relied on wood as it's primary source of energy up until the late 18th century. Because of the rapid industralization and urbanization, firewood was becoming overwhelmed as a energy source. Instead, coal became more and more popular. -
Hydroelectric Energy is Used for the First Time
According to a graph of the types of energy used over time, hydroelectric energy was first used in 1890 -
Federal Power Commission Created
Because policy makes realized that alternative sources of energy were necessary to national interest, the FPC was created to increase the production of hydroelectric energy by increasing the number of hydroelectric power plants. -
Petroleum and Natural Gas Usage Surpass That of Coal
For the first time, the amount of petroleum and natural gas used surpassed the amount of coal used for energy. -
First Commercial Scale Geothermal Plant Built
The first commercial scale geothermal electricity plant was built in The Geysers dry steam field, in California. Today, it is the largest geothermal energy producing field in the world -
Geothermal Steam Act Passed
The U.S. Government passed the Geothermal Steam Act of 1970 to promote the use of geothermal energy. According to the Act, land containing geothermal resources could be leased out. -
First U.S. Energy Crisis
In 1973, the members of the Organization of Arab Petroleum Exporting Countries proclaimed an oil embargo, or a partial or complete prohibition of trade with a certain country. Oil prices increaesed, and interestsin alternative energy research was spurred. Dependence on coal and nuclear power and interest in mass transit was also increased. -
Kyoto Protocol Adopted; America Refuses to Sign
The Kyoto Protocol was an international treaty intended to reduce the worldwide emissions of known greenhouse gases by setting specific standards for emission that industralized countries, but not developing nations, woud have to follow. Although over 55 nations signed the Kyoto Protocol, former President Bush withdrew his support for the Protocol shortly after he took office in 2001, despite his promises to reduce CO2 emissions. He also refused to submit it to Congress for ratification. -
An Inconvenient Truth Premieres
The documentary An Inconvenient Truth premiered in Los Angeles. The documentary focuses on Al Gore and his efforts in educating others about the state of climate change. Although some have criticized Gore, claiming that he was using the film as a platform for his own political gain, many viewers stated that the film changed the way they viewed climate change and said that they changed their habits in order to conserve more energy
