-
Fuel Cell
Sir William Robert Grove developed the first fuel cell, a device that produces electrical energy with a combination of hydrogen and oxygen. -
Windmill becomes popular tool
It was the western Railroad builders who first used the windmill. It represented intermediate technlogy at its best. -
First Solar Power System Developed in France
Augustine Mouchot worried about the possibility of fossil fuels, such as coal, running out,and developed a solar powered steam generation system to drive industrial machinery. -
Development of Petroleum as a Major Energy Source in the US
after the American Civil War, the petroleum industry made technological advances that allowed it to thrive as society's major source of energy and lubrication during the twentieth century. -
First Windmill to Generate Electricity Developed in Cleveland, Ohio
Charles F. Brush develops the world's first windmill that can generate electricity. -
World's First Geothermal Power Plant
John D. Grant drilled a geothermal well and ran a small direct-current generator and used it to provide electricity for lighting. -
Hoover Dam, the World's Largest Hydroelectric Power Plant, Is Built
The Hoover Dam was the largest hydroelectric producer in the world. The dam remained the largest producer of hydroelectricity in the world until 1948. -
First Nuclear Power Reactor to Generate Electricity Built
A nuclear reactor produced useful electricity for the first time. -
First Commercial Nuclear Power Plant Begins Operation
The first large-scale nuclear power plant in the world had began operating in Shippingport, Pennsylvania, exactly 15 years after Enrico Fermi demonstrated the first sustained nuclear reaction. -
Federal Involvement in Wind Energy Development Advances Wind Energy Technology
The US government worked hard to advance Wind energy atthis time. A total of 13 experimental wind turbines were put into operation including four major wind turbine designs. -
President Carter Delivers Famous Energy Speech Arguing for Conservation and Alternative Fuels
He explained how the US is facing an imminent energy shortage and arguing that the country must make changes in the way it uses energy.
