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Petroleum Becomes Most Used Fuel in the US
Due primarily to demand caused by the automobile, 1950 is the first year that petroleum becomes most consumed fuel in the US. -
Natural Gas Becomes a Major Fuel in US with Extensive Construction of Natural Gas Pipelines
Home use of natural gas required a large pipeline network for delivery and the cost of such a system was considered prohibitive. -
First US Satellite in Orbit Utilizes Solar Cells for Power
While efforts to commercialize the silicon solar cell faltered, the US Army and Air Force saw the device as the ideal power source for a top-secret project - earth-orbiting satellites. -
First Commercial Scale Geothermal Electric Plants in the US Built in California
It is still the largest producing geothermal field in the world. -
Geothermal Steam Act of 1970
however, Congress excluded any lands within the National Park System, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service lands, and any other lands prohibited from leasing by the Mineral Leasing Act of 1920." -
Formation of the Solar Energy Research Institute
[Golden, Colorado], the first federal facility dedicated to harnessing power from the sun.In 1991 it was designated as a national laboratory by the US Department of Energy and renamed the National Renewable Energy Laboratory. -
Federal Surface Mining Control
The SMCRA directed owners of coal mines to contribute bonds for land rehabilitation and environmental damages caused by mining activities... The SMCRA did not prohibit mountaintop coal mining, an activity that steadily increased after 1977 -
US Invests $3.4 Billion to Modernize Energy Grid
Funding a broad range of technologies that will spur the nation’s transition to a smarter, stronger, more efficient and reliable electric system. -
EPA Announces First Clean Air Act Standard for Carbon Pollution
The rule applies to all new power plants that burn fossil fuel to create electricity including coal and natural gas fired power plants. -
Climate action plan
Also, the Department of Defense – the single largest consumer of energy in the United States – is committed to deploying 3 gigawatts of renewable energy on military installations, including solar, wind, biomass, and geothermal, by 2025... -
EPA Proposes First Ever Rules to Reduce Carbon Emissions
"Cut carbon emission from the power sector by 30 percent nationwide below 2005 levels, which is equal to the emissions from powering more than half the homes in the United States for one year; Cut particle pollution, nitrogen oxides, and sulfur dioxide by more than 25 percent as a co-benefit -
Clean Power Plan
The regulations also seek to prevent the electricity industry from becoming more dependent on natural gas. Coal, which accounts for just under 40% of total U.S. electricity, emits the most carbon dioxide compared with other fuels. -
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