Timeline of Historical Energy Events

First Steam Engine Developed in England to Pump Water out of Coal Mines

Jan 31, 1712

First Natural Gas Well drilled in the US

Jan 31, 1821

Windmills become popular use of pumping water for Western Homesteaders and Railroaders

Jan 31, 1850

John D. Rockefeller forms standard oil and develops petroleum as a major energy source in the US

Jan 31, 1870

First Windmill created to generate electricity in Cleveland, Ohio

Jan 31, 1888

First Diesel Engine to run on vegetable oil at the World’s Fair in Paris

Jan 31, 1900

First Federal Law established to control pollution from the oil industry

Jan 31, 1924

World’s Largest hydroelectric power plant is built, Hoover Dam

Jan 31, 1935

First nuclear power reactor is built to generate electricity

Dec 20, 1950

First commercial scale geothermal plants are built in California

Jan 31, 1960

First Wind farm is built in New Hampshire

Dec 31, 1980

Prevention of drilling for oil in arctic wildlife range is passed in US House

Nov 9, 2005

$3.4 million is invested by the US to modernize energy grid

Oct 27, 2009

EPA Announces first clean air act standard for carbon pollution from new power plants

Mar 27, 2012