The first source of energy in the U.S.
Technically, the first source of energy was the sun, because it provided heat and light during the day. However, in the United States, wood was the first real source of energy consumption in 1775, until the use of coal came in the 1850s.
The discovery of electricity
The Industrial Revolution started our use of human-generated electricity. Most people credit Benjamin Franklin with “discovering” electricity in 1752, which he did by realizing that the sparks emitted by lightning strikes could generate power.
Electricity in the Big Apple
In 1882, Thomas Edison built the Pearl Street Station, the first purpose-built power station. Built in New York City, this station provided the first electric light for Wall Street financiers and the New York Times. The station burned down in 1890, but was the model for stations that started around the city.
Powering another apple
Today, the Edison Electric Illuminating Company survives in the form of Con Edison. Read also : Walmart to open a high-tech consolidation center in Pennsylvania.1
The U.S.’ first electric transmission line
In the late 19th century, hydropower was used as a source of electricity. To see also : Sports Fource Extra week 5. And, in 1882, the same year Edison’s power plant, the world’s first hydroelectric plant went online in Appleton, Wisconsin.2
Transportation in the U.S.
The first electric transmission line in the United States was built in 1889, between the generating station at Willamette Falls in Oregon City, Oregon, and the city of Portland, Oregon. To see also : Expect travel delays as emergency pothole repairs begin on Monday. The line transmitted electricity over a 13-mile span, which is very small by today’s standards, but was considered a major technological breakthrough at the time.3
Development of the U.S. gas industry
Adams Station Power Plant in Buffalo, NY (c. 1890s) – the second utility to provide electricity to Niagara Falls, NY.
Horse-drawn carriages were used for transportation until the “horseless carriage” was created in the early 1800s – which only the wealthy could afford. That is until the early 1900s, when Henry Ford began mass production of the gas-powered Model T, which allowed everyday people to purchase a vehicle. As time went on, cars in the United States got bigger and heavier and, by 1970, the average car was getting 13.5 miles per gallon (mpg) – back then, which really isn’t that long, the gas cost less than 25 cents!2
Renewable energy and the future
Today, people not only drive gas vehicles, but also electric ones. And if that wasn’t enough, the US has a new federal requirement that by 2026 all light vehicles sold in the US should average 49 mpg – that’s 35.5 mpg more than vehicles just 50 years ago.4
