Energy Use in the US

By CainJillian

  • Coal was Discovered in Richmond, Virginia

    Coal was Discovered in Richmond, Virginia
    According to a map drawn by Louis Joilet, there was "carbon of the earth" found along the Illinois River in Northern Illinois.

  • Ben Franklin Flies a Kite

    Ben Franklin Flies a Kite
    Franklin ties a key to a kite and flies it in a thunderstorm, proving that static electricity and lightning were the same thing.

  • William Hart and the Oil Well

    William Hart and the Oil Well
    Hart drilled the United States first commercial oil well that was intended to produce natural gas.

  • Charles Brush and the Generator

    Charles Brush and the Generator
    Charles created the open coil dynamo, or generator, that could produce a steady current of electricity.

  • Thomas Edison and the Lightbulb

    Thomas Edison and the Lightbulb
    Edison and his team in New Jersey patented a design for an electric lamp with a carbon filament. After the patent was granted, he spent the next few years searching for the perfect filament for his new light bulb.Bamboo was used for awhile before longer lasting material was found.

  • Charles Brush and the Windmill

    Charles Brush and the Windmill
    Charles build a windmill that created 12kW of electricity.He built the turbine to power his mansion in Cleveland, Ohio.

  • Niagara Falls Hydropower

    Niagara Falls Hydropower
    The Niagara Falls hydro power plant opened in 1897. It was originally created to provide power for local towns, but one year later, an alternate current power line was opened, enabling the power to be used in cities as far away as New York City.

  • Willis Carrier and Air Conditioning

    Willis Carrier and Air Conditioning
    Willis realized he could dry air by passing it through water to create fog. He used this knowledge to create in invention that controls humidity.

  • Passive Solar Design

    Passive Solar Design
    Energy was scarce during and after World War 2, so passive solar design buildings became big. Power from the sun was used to fuel houses.

  • Henry Ford and the Quadricycle

    Henry Ford and the Quadricycle
    Henry Ford created the first car to run solely on ethanol.

  • Sources

    http://www.livescience.com/43424-who-invented-the-light-bulb.html
    http://www.teslasociety.com/exhibition.htm
    http://www.carrier.com/carrier/en/us/about-us/willis-carrier/
    http://www.dec.ny.gov/docs/materials_minerals_pdf/nyserda2.pdf
    https://cleantechnica.com/2014/06/22/americas-first-wind-turbine-generated-electricity-1888/
    http://nfu.org/images/stories/education/Materials/Energy%20Curriculum/FINAL%20History%20of%20U.S.%20Energy.pdf