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Process of Electrolysis Discovered
English scientists William Nicholson and Sir Anthony Carlisle discovered that applying electric current to water produced hydrogen and oxygen gases. This process was later termed 'electrolysis.'" The discovery of electrolysis was an important historical step in the development of hydrogen energy and the hydrogen fuel cell.
"The History of Hydrogen," www.hydrogenassociation.org (accessed June 4, 2009) -
First Natural Gas Well in US Is Drilled
In 1821, the first well specifically intended to obtain natural gas was dug in Fredonia, New York, by William Hart. After noticing gas bubbles rising to the surface of a creek, Hart dug a 27 foot well to try and obtain a larger flow of gas to the surface. Hart is regarded by many as the 'father of natural gas' in America.
"History," www.naturalgas.org (accessed June 16, 2009) -
Coal Becomes Primary Locomotive (Train) Fuel in US, Displacing Wood
The first major boon for coal use occurred in 1830 when the Tom Thumb, the first commercially practical American-built locomotive, was manufactured. The Tom Thumb burned coal, and in rapid fashion, virtually every American locomotive that burned wood was converted to use coal.
"History of U.S. Coal Use," www.netl.doe.gov (accessed May 14, 2009) -
First Coal Powered Iron Forges Are Developed in New England
American iron was still being produced by charcoal. New England still relied on Europe for most of its iron supply, little metal was yet used in machinery, and steam was hardly employed at all as a source of power. This lag in the use of iron and steam appears to have held back high volume factory production in all industries except textiles
Anthracite Coal and the Beginnings of the Industrial Revolution in the United States," The Business History Review, Summer 1972 -
Ethanol Blend Becomes Popular Lamp Fuel
t was a blend of high-proof ethyl alcohol with 20 to 50 percent turpentine to color the flame and a few drops of camphor oil to mask the turpentine smell. Alcohol for camphene was an important mainstay for distilleries, and many sold between one third and 80 percent of their product on the fuel market -
First Hydrogen Fuel Cell Developed to Generate Electricity
The 'Grove cell,' as it came to be called, used a platinum electrode immersed in nitric acid and a zinc electrode in zinc sulfate to generate about 12 amps of current at about 1.8 volts.
"Fuel Cell Origins: 1840-1890," americanhistory.si.edu (accessed June 4, 2009) -
Windmill Becomes Popular Water Pumping Tool
It was the Western environment that created the demand for a new windmill, a Connecticut mechanic, by the name of Daniel Halladay, provided the inventive genius. In 1857, Halladay, having perfected his windmill, formed the Halladay Wind Mill Company
Wind Energy in America: A History, 1996 -
First Solar Power System Developed in France
Mouchot's research into mirror technology led him to develop the first sun motor. The sun motor used the heat from concentrated sunlight to produce steam which was used to drive machinery.
From Space to Earth: The Story of Solar Electricity, 1999 -
John D. Rockefeller Forms Standard Oil and Develops Petroleum
After the American Civil War, the petroleum industry made continual technological advances that allowed it to emerge as society's major source of energy and lubrication during the twentieth century. The immense potential of petroleum resources and applications became evermore apparent, attracting the interest of one of the most effective businessmen in history, John D. Rockefeller.
"Petroleum History, United States," www.eoearth.org (accessed May 18, 2009) -
First Electric Plant Built by Thomas Edison
Edison threw the switch that would start up America's first power plant, serving a square-mile area that included some very wealthy and influential customers: J.P. Morgan, the Stock Exchange, and the nation's largest newspapers.
"Edison's Miracle of Light: The Film & More - Program Description," www.pbs.org (accessed July 27, 2009) -
First Windmill to Generate Electricity Developed
Charles F. Brush develops the world's first windmill that can generate electricity as described in an 1890 issue of Scientific American with the exception of the gigantic windmill and electric plant shown... we do not know of a successful system of electric lighting operated by means of wind power.
"Mr. Brush's Windmill Dynamo," Dec. 20, 1890" -
First Diesel Engine to Run on Vegetable Oil
The first public demonstration of vegetable oil based diesel fuel was at the 1900 World's Fair, when the French government commissioned the Otto company to build a diesel engine to run on peanut oil. The French government was interested in vegetable oils as a domestic fuel for their African colonies. -
US Supreme Court Orders Dissolution of Standard Oil Trust for Engaging in Monopolistic Practices
Final decision was returned late this afternoon [May 15, 1911] by the Supreme Court of the United States in one of the two great trust cases which have been before it for so long - that of the Standard Oil Company. The decree of the Circuit Court for the Eighth Circuit directing the dissolution of the Oil Trust was affirmed [in an 8-1 decision], with minor modifications
Standard Oil Co. of New Jersey v. United States, May 15, 1911 -
World's First Geothermal Power Plant Is Built in California
The Geysers [72 miles north of San Francisco] were discovered in the early 1800's but were an untapped energy source for many years... [In 1921] John D. Grant drilled a geothermal well and ran a small direct-current generator which was used to provide electricity for lighting The Geysers resort. -
First Federal Law Established to Control Pollution
The federal government established a precedent for combating oil pollution when it passed the Oil Pollution Control Act in 1924. The contamination of water from tanker discharges and seepage problems on land were the primary problems -
Natural Gas Act: First Direct Federal Regulation of Natural Gas Industry
This act constitutes the first real involvement of the federal government in the rates charged by interstate gas transmission companies. Essentially, the NGA gave the Federal Power Commission (the FPC, which had been created in 1920 with the passage of the Federal Water Power Act) jurisdiction over regulation of interstate natural gas sales.
"The History of Regulation," www.naturalgas.org (accessed June 16, 2009) -
Atomic Energy Act of 1946: US Atomic Energy Commission Created
The use of atomic bombs against the Japanese cities of Hiroshima and Nagasaki in August 1945 ushered in a new historical epoch, breathlessly labeled in countless news reports, magazine articles, films, and radio broadcasts as the 'Atomic Age.' Within a short time after the end of World War II
A Short History of Nuclear Regulation, 1946-1999," www.nrc.gov (accessed May 19, 2009) -
Extensive Construction of Natural Gas Pipelines
The improvements in metals, welding techniques and pipe making during the War [World War II] made pipeline construction more economically attractive. After World War II, the nation began building its pipeline network. Throughout the 1950s and 1960s, thousands of miles of pipeline were constructed throughout the United States. Today, the U.S. pipeline network, laid end-to-end, would stretch to the moon and back twice
"The History of Natural Gas," www.fossil.energy.gov (accessed May 13, 2009) -
US Congress Passes Atomic Energy Act of 1954
In 1954, Congress passed new legislation that for the first time permitted the wide use of atomic energy for peaceful purposes. The 1954 Atomic Energy Act redefined the atomic energy program by ending the government monopoly on technical data and making the growth of a private commercial nuclear industry an urgent national goal. -
Formation of the Organization of Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC) in Baghdad, Iraq
The Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC) is a permanent, intergovernmental Organization, created at the Baghdad Conference on September 10-14, 1960, by Iran, Iraq, Kuwait, Saudi Arabia and Venezuela
"Brief History," www.opec.org (accessed May 19, 2009) -
Geothermal Steam Act of 1970 Passed to Allow the Leasing of Federal Land for Geothermal Energy Development
To encourage the development of geothermal energy [energy generated by the heat of the earth], the United States government passed the Geothermal Steam Act in 1970 allowing the leasing of land containing geothermal resources
"Geothermal Steam Act of 1970, United States," www.eoearth.org (accessed June 3, 2009) -
Trans-Alaska Pipeline Authorization Act of 1973 Passed to Increase Domestic Oil Supplies in Wake of Oil Embargo
After the discovery of a large oil field in Prudhoe Bay, Alaska in 1968, U.S. Congress decided to construct a pipeline transversing Alaska as a means of transporting the oil to the nearest ice-free port at Valdez, Alaska. Congress passed the Trans-Alaska Pipeline Authorization Act in 1973 as an authorization for the building of the Trans-Alaska Pipeline System (TAPS).
Trans-Alaska Pipeline Authorization Act, Nov. 16, 1973 -
Formation of the Strategic Petroleum Reserve; President Ford Signs into Law the Energy Policy and Conservation Act
President Gerald R. Ford (tenure: 1974-1977) in December 1975 established the Strategic Petroleum Reserve (SPR) by signing into law the Energy Policy and Conservation Act (EPCA, Public Law 94-163) passed by the 94th US Congress
"Strategic Petroleum Reserve: A Remarkable US Asset," www.semp.us (accessed May 29, 2009) -
Three Mile Island Nuclear Accident in Pennsylvania Creates Widespread Public Opposition to Nuclear Power
On March 28, 1979, an accident at one of the reactors at Three Mile Island near Middletown, in Pennsylvania, closed the era of rosy optimism about nuclear power. The accident began when the coolant flow stopped, various mechanisms malfunctioned, and the operators lost control of what was happening. There was enough uncontrolled radioactivity to make heat for explosions and a meltdown.
Children of the Sun: A History of Humanity's Unappeasable Appetite for Energy, 2006 -
Exxon Valdez Disaster in Alaska Becomes the Largest Oil Spill in US Waters
Early in the morning on Good Friday, March 24, 1989, the Exxon Valdez struck Bligh Reef in Prince William Sound. The grounding ripped the bottom of the single-hulled vessel, resulting in the rupture of 11 of the vessel’s crude oil tanks and the release of nearly 11 million gallons of crude oil into the environment. It was, and still is, the largest oil spill in United States waters
"Legacy of an Oil Spill: 20 Years after Exxon Valdez," www.evostc.state.ak.us, Mar. 24, 2009 -
EV1 Electric Car Is Made Available to the Public For Lease; Lease Program and EV1 Later Dismantled by GM
General Motors releases the EV1 to the public for lease to meet a 1990 California mandate that 2 percent of all cars sold in the state in 1998 be zero-emission vehicles. "A little over 1,000 EV1s were produced by G.M. before the company pulled the plug on the project in 2002 due to insufficient demand. Other major car makers also ceased production of their electric vehicles.
"Who Killed the Electric Car?," www.pbs.org (accessed July 27, 2009) -
US House Prevents Drilling for Oil in the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge
Both the U.S. House and Senate budget bills included a provision that would allow for oil drilling in a small fraction of the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge. The Senate passed its budget bill last week, but leaders in the House dropped the ANWR provision late November 9 after a small group of moderate Republicans threatened to withhold support for the budget if ANWR were included
"Small Group of House Republicans Derails ANWR Drilling," www.nationalcenter.org, Nov. 10, 2005 -
Worst Coal Ash Spill in US History in Kingston, Tennessee
In the early morning hours of December 22, 2008, the earthen wall of a containment pond at Tennessee's Kingston Fossil Plant gave way. The breach released 1.3 million cubic meters (1.7 million cubic yards) of fly ash - a coal-combustion waste product captured and stored in wet form
"Coal Ash Spill, Tennessee," www.earthobservatory.nasa.gov (accessed July 22, 2009) -
BP Oil Rig Explodes & Causes Largest Oil Spill in US History
On Apr. 22 the drilling rig sank 5,000 feet to the ocean floor, causing a series of breaks in the oil pipeline. Initially it was estimated by BP that about 1,000 barrels of oil a day were leaking into the Gulf of Mexico from the broken pipe.
"Estimates Suggest Spill Is Biggest in US History," May, 27, 2010 -
Earthquake off Coast of Japan Damages Six Powerplants at Fukushima Dai-ichi
Mar. 11, 2011: A magnitude-9.0 earthquake and tsunami hit Japan's northeastern coast, knocking out power and swamping the backup diesel generators needed to cool the six reactors and spent fuel pools at the Fukushima Dai-ichi nuclear plant.
"Timeline: A Nuclear Crisis Unfolds in Japan," www.npr.org (accessed May 5, 2011) -
Two Nuclear Power Reactors in South Carolina Abandoned Before Construction Completed
South Carolina utilities said on Monday that they would abandon two unfinished nuclear reactors in the state, putting an end to a project that was once expected to showcase advanced nuclear technology but has since been plagued by delays and cost overruns. The two reactors, which have cost the utilities roughly $9 billion, remain less than 40 percent built.
Brad Plumer, "US Nuclear Comeback Stalls as Two Reactors Are Abandoned," nytimes.com, July 31, 2017 -
New Mexico Commits to 100% Renewable Energy for Electricity by 2050
New Mexico governor Michelle Lujan Grisham signed a new law that will position the state to obtain 100% of its electrical needs from renewable sources not later than 2050. The phase-in calls for 50% by 2030, 80% by 2040, and 100% for utility companies by 2045, with electric coops given until 2050 to comply.
"New Mexico Governor Approves 100% Renewable Legislation," cleantechnica.com, Mar. 24, 2019 -
Three Mile Island to Close, Site of Worst Commercial Nuclear Accident in US
Three Mile Island nuclear power plant in Pennsylvania stopped producing electricity at noon on Friday [Sep. 20, 2019], part of Exelon Corp.'s plan to close and decommission the plant over the next 60 years. The closure comes 40 years after the partial meltdown of the plant's reactor No. 2 — the nation's worst commercial nuclear accident — left the plant with only one working reactor.
Brett Sholtis, "Three Mile Island Nuclear Power Plant Shuts Down," npr.org, Sep. 20, 2019 -
Big Banks Refuse Funds for Some Fossil Fuel Projects
Citi announced a new policy in which the bank will not fund new or expanded thermal coal mines, new or expanded coal-fired plants, "oil and gas exploration, development, and production in the Arctic Circle," or projects that will have a negative impact on UNESCO World Heritage Sites.
Citi, "Environmental and Social Policy Framework," citigroup.com, Apr. 2020 -
California to Ban New Gas-Powered Cars by 2035
California Governor Gavin Newsom issued an executive order on Sep. 23, 2020 directing "California’s regulators to develop a plan that would require automakers to sell steadily more zero-emissions passenger vehicles in the state, such as battery-powered or hydrogen-powered cars and pickup trucks, until they make up 100 percent of new auto sales in just 15 years.
Brad Plumer and Jill Cowan, "California Plans to Ban Sales of New Gas-Powered Cars in 15 Years," nytimes.com, Sep. 23, 2020 -
Major Automakers and Countries Pledge to Phase Out Gas-Powered Cars
11 automakers, 33 countries, 40 regional governments, 27 fleet owners and operators or shared mobility platforms, and 32 other signatories have pledged to "work towards all sales of new cars and vans being zero emission globally by 2040, and by no later than 2035 in leading markets.
Brad Plumer and Hiroko Tabuchi, "6 Automakers and 30 Countries Say They’ll Phase out Gasoline Car Sales," nytimes.com, Nov. 10, 2021 -
Over 80 Million Acres of Oil and Gas Leases Canceled in Gulf of Mexico
In Nov. 2021, the Biden administration held the largest oil and gas lease sale in United States history. A federal judge invalidated the sale for leases in the Gulf of Mexico on Jan. 27, 2022.
Lisa Friedman, "Court Revokes Oil and Gas Leases, Citing Climate Change," nytimes.com, Jan. 27, 2022 -
American Lung Association Says Switch to Zero-Emission Transportation and Non-Combustion Electricity Could Save 110,000 Lives
According to a 2022 American Lung Association report: "The shift to zero-emission transportation and non-combustion electricity generation could yield major health benefits throughout the nation in the coming decades. -
Nearly 200 Countries Agree To Transition Away From Fossil Fuels
Convened by the United Nations in Dubai, United Arab Emirates, the nations came to a non-binding agreement after two weeks of debate. New York Times reporters Brad Plumer and Max Bearak summarize.
Coral Davenport, "California to Require Half of All Heavy Trucks Sold by 2035 to Be Electric," nytimes.com, Mar. 31, 2023 -
Montana Judge Rules in Favor of Youth: State Violated Their Constitutional Right to Clean Environment
Julia Olson, attorney with Our Children's Trust that brought the lawsuit on behalf of Montana youth, states: As fires rage in the West, fueled by fossil fuel pollution, today's ruling in Montana is a game-changer that marks a turning point in this generation's efforts to save the planet from the devastating effects of human-caused climate chaos.
AP, "Judge Sides with Young Activists in First-of-Its-Kind Climate Change Trial in Montana," npr.org, Aug. 14, 2023