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The Wood Era
In the 1700s, American businesses and homes burned wood as a fuel. It was the dominant energy source because of its obtainability, portability, and easy consumability. Source:
http://geology.com/articles/history-of-energy-use/ -
The Wood Era's alternative energies
During the Wood Era, other sources of energy came from animal power and water power. Horses, oxen, mules, donkeys and other animals were used for transportation and power. On the other hand, water power mills produced along rivers and shops to operate certain machines in shops. Sources: http://geology.com/articles/history-of-energy-use/ -
The Coal Era
In the 1800s, the wood era came to an end, and coal began to take its place. During this century, some of the first coal mines were made and operated upon in several parts of the country. Coal was better than wood because coal offered more heat per pound and occupied more potuble fuel. Sources:
http://geology.com/articles/history-of-energy-use/ -
The Coal Era (cont.)
During the late 1800s, coal comsumption steadily climbed, and the country consumed and used more energy from coal than coal. Industrialization, now relied heavily relied on coal to operate and power machinery, and lead to use to higher demand in the eventual electric era. Source: http://geology.com/articles/history-of-energy-use/ -
The Oil and Natural Gas Era
In the early 1900s, new drilling technologies were invented that made oil and natural gas supply abundant, and at a competitive cost against coal. These resources were cleaner fuels than coal and were easier to transport and store. Source: http://geology.com/articles/history-of-energy-use/ -
Oil and Natural Gas (Part 2)
After a couple of decades, the use of oil and natural gas grew sporadically. Oil was used for new uses, such as space heating, electric power generating, and traportation fuels. The expanded use of oil and natural gases made them surpass coal in importance. Source: http://geology.com/articles/history-of-energy-use/ -
The Nuclear Era
In the 1950s, the United States began commercial production in nuclear power. This rapid production eventually led to several nuclear plants coming online in the early 1970s. Source: http://geology.com/articles/history-of-energy-use/ -
Nuclear Diasters
Although nuclear power had such a cheap and fruitful production, there were casualties. In 1978, Three Mile island in Pennsylvania had an accident and forsaw uninhabitable areas. The same incident happened when Chernobyl, a famous nuclear disaster, occured. These accidents and incidents of making mand uninhabitable created social and safety problems that challenged nuclear power's potential. Source: http://geology.com/articles/history-of-energy-use/ -
Oil and Natural Gas Complications
After the mid-1900s, the oil and gas industry enjoyed steady growth until it hit a roadblock in the 1970s. In the 1970s, economic downturns and price manipulations which caused a decreased demand and growth for oil and natural gas. After the a 1970s recession, the demand and growth for the resources increased almost uninterruptedly. However, the recession in 2008 made the industry in a chokehold, freefall and a ridiculous increase. Source: http://geology.com/articles/history-of-energy-use/ -
Renewable Energy
Since 1995, the use of renewable energy has significantly grown. In 2009, renewable energy now accounts for 8.20% of the United States energy consumption. Since 1995, the use of renewable resources has increased by 15.9%. Wind energy use has increased by 2012.1%, solar has increased by 55.7%, and geothermal increasing by 26.9%. Source: http://geology.com/articles/history-of-energy-use/
