NEED Celebrates
40 Years of Energy Education
Happy Birthday NEED!
The National Energy Education Development (NEED) Project begins on March 21, 1980 as a one-day celebration as a Joint Congressional Resolution recognizes National Energy Education Day. In the same year, President Jimmy Carter issues a Presidential Proclamation stressing the need for comprehensive energy education in our schools, a reduction in our dependence of fossil fuels, and increasing energy efficiency and the use of renewable energy technologies. (NEED)
World’s First Wind Farm
U.S. Windpower installs the world’s first wind farm on the shoulder of Crotched Mountain, New Hampshire. The wind farm has 20 turbines and a total generating capacity of 600 kW. (AWEA)
Photo credit: Crotched Mountain Rehabilitation Center
First Solar-Powered Aircraft
Paul MacCready builds the first solar-powered aircraft—the Solar Challenger—and flies it from France to England across the English Channel. The aircraft has over 16,000 solar cells mounted on its wings, producing 3,000 watts of power. (EERE)
First Biomass Power Plant
The first (biomass) wood-fired power plant built primarily to generate electricity, begins operating in Vermont. (DOE)
Photo Credit: The New York Times Archives
Improving Fuel Economy
In 1974, in response to the oil crisis, a regulation passed requiring auto manufacturers to meet a Corporate Average Fuel Economy (CAFE) Standard by 1985. This CAFE standard requires a fuel economy of 27.5 miles per gallon for all new cars and light trucks. (DOE)
Photo Credit: EIA
Oil Spill Damages the Environment
The Exxon Valdez oil tanker runs aground, spilling 240,000 barrels of crude oil in Alaska’s Prince William Sound. (DOE)
Photo Credit: NOAA
California Leads in Wind Power
California has more than 2,200 megawatts of wind energy capacity installed – more than half of the world’s capacity at this time. (DOE)
Photo Credit: San Gorgonio Pass wind farm near Palm Spring, CA, Photo by Kit Conn
Recycling Grows
Fifteen states adopt recycling legislation. (DOE)
Photo Credit: Tony Webster
Quark Discovery
Physicists at the Fermi National Accelerator Lab discover the top quark subatomic particle. (DOE)
Photo Credit: Fermilab
Demonstrating CSP Technology
The U.S. Department of Energy, along with an industry consortium, begins operating Solar Two—an upgrade of its Solar One concentrating solar power tower project. Operating until 1999, Solar Two demonstrates how solar energy can be stored efficiently and economically so that power can be produced even when the sun isn’t shining. It also fosters commercial interest in power towers. (EERE)
Photo Credit: Solar Two
World’s First Hybrid Electric Vehicle
The Toyota Prius debuts in Japan as the world’s first mass-produced hybrid electric vehicle. It isn’t available worldwide until the year 2000. (DOE)
Toyota Hybrid engine via https://blog.toyota.co.uk/history-toyota-prius
First Free-Range Rover on Mars
On July 4th, the Mars Pathfinder lands on Mars to deliver Sojourner, the first free-range robotic rover, to the surface of the red planet. It operates for three months, sending data and images back to Earth. (NASA)
Mars Pathfinder via https://mars.nasa.gov/mars-exploration/missions/pathfinder/
First Hybrid Electric Vehicle for Sale in U.S.
The Honda Insight is the first hybrid electric vehicle for sale in the U.S. (DOE)
Photo Credit: khengsiong
Traffic Jam
Americans own 220 million cars (DOE)
Photo Credit: U.S. DOE
Astronauts Install Solar Panels in Space
At the International Space Station, astronauts begin installing solar panels on what will be the largest solar power array deployed in space. Each “wing” of the array consists of 32,800 solar cells. (DOE)
Photo Credit: NASA
First Hybrid Electric Vehicle Built in America
The Ford Escape Hybrid is the first hybrid electric vehicle manufactured in the U.S. (DOE)
Photo Credit: Mario Roberto Duran Ortiz
Record Coal Production
Coal production sets a record high of 1.16 billion short tons. (DOE)
Developing Electric Vehicle Batteries and Building Charging Stations
The American Recovery and Investment Act of 2009 allocates $2 billion to develop electric vehicle batteries and related technologies. The U.S. Department of Energy adds another $115 million to build electric charging stations across the country. This helps reignite the electric vehicle industry. In addition, the U.S. Department of Energy invests over $31 billion to support clean energy projects and infrastructure updates nationwide. (DOE)
Photo Credit: The Valley Hospital
Self-Driving Cars
Google begins developing a self-driving car. (digitaltrends.com)
Photo Credit: Roman Boed
Deadly Offshore Drilling Rig Accident
While drilling an exploratory well in the Gulf of Mexico, an explosion and fire occurs on the offshore drilling rig Deepwater Horizon, killing 11 crew members. Oil leaks from the unfinished well into the ocean for months. (EIA)
Photo Credit: US Coast Guard
First Plug-in Hybrid Electric Vehicle for Sale in America
The Chevy Volt is the first plug-in hybrid vehicle (PHEV) built and sold in the U.S. It has a gasoline engine that supplements its electric drive if the battery runs low, allowing consumers to drive on electric for most trips but use gasoline to extend the vehicle’s range. (DOE)
Photo Credit: John Biehler
Electric Vehicles Hit the Road
The Nissan LEAF is the first mass-produced, modern production, all-electric vehicle for sale in the U.S. (DOE)
Photo Credit: “Nissan Leaf Charging” by pchow98 is licensed under CC BY-NC-ND 2.0
Final Space Shuttle Mission
NASA uses hydrogen gas as rocket fuel to deliver crew and cargo to space for 30 years. On July 8, 2011, the Atlantis Space Shuttle launches from NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida for the 135th, and final, mission of the space shuttle program. (NASA)
Photo Credit: ISS Expedition 28 Crew, NASA [public domain]
World’s Largest Natural Gas Producer
The United States surpasses Russia to become the world’s largest producer of natural gas. (DOE)
Tidal Power Begins Generating Electricity for the Grid
Cobscook Bay Tidal Energy Project, the nation’s first commercial, grid-connected tidal energy project, begins operating off the coast of Eastport, Maine. (DOE)
Link: https://tethys.pnnl.gov/project-sites/cobscook-bay-tidal-energy-project
Photo Credit: TidGen™ Power System
World’s Largest Hydroelectric Power Plant
The Three Gorges Dam, on the Yangtze River in China, comes online. It is the largest hydroelectric facility in the world, generating the electrical equivalent of fifteen nuclear reactors. (DOE)
Photo Credit: Yao Yilong Imaginechina/AP Images
World’s Largest Concentrating Solar Power Facility
The Ivanpah Solar Electric Generating Station comes online as the largest concentrating solar power (CSP) facility in the world. The facility, in California’s Mojave Desert, generates up to 392 MW. (DOE)
Photo Credit: Justin Elliott
Nation’s First Offshore Wind Farm Under Construction
The nation’s first offshore wind farm, the Deepwater Wind Project, begins construction off the coast of Rhode Island. (DOE)
Photo Credit: Deepwater Wind
World’s Largest OTEC Power Plant
The world’s largest grid-connected Ocean Thermal Energy Conversion power plant begins producing electricity for the U.S. grid at the Makai Ocean Energy Research Center in Kailua-Kona, Hawaii. (makai.com)
Photo Credit: EIA
The Fastest-Growing Job in America
Wind turbine technician is America’s fastest-growing job. (AWEA)
Photo Credit: Dennis Schroeder / NREL
Nation’s First Offshore Wind Farm
The nation’s first commercial offshore wind farm begins operating off Block Island, RI. The project has five wind turbines and a generating capacity of 30 MW. (AWEA)
Photo Credit: Jennifer McCann, URI Coastal Resources Center
Wind Industry Jobs
The U.S. wind industry supports 114,000 jobs across all 50 states and Puerto Rico. Over 25,000 of these people work in Texas. (AWEA)
Photo Credit: Dennis Schroeder/NREL
World’s Fastest, Most Powerful Supercomputer
Oak Ridge National Laboratory’s Summit supercomputer is named the fastest, most powerful supercomputer in the world. Summit is capable of 200 petaflops – or 200,000 trillion calculations per second. (DOE)
Photo Credit: Carlos Jones/Oak Ridge National Laboratory, U.S. Dept. of Energy
World’s First Hydrogen-Powered Train
The Coradia iLint, the world’s first passenger train powered by a hydrogen fuel cell, begins commercial passenger service in Germany. This zero-emission train emits low levels of noise and only steam and condensed water as exhaust. (Alstom.com)
Photo Credit: ubahnverleih
Leading the World in Petroleum and Natural Gas Production
Crude oil production in the U.S. increases by 17%, setting a new record of nearly 11.0 million barrels per day and surpassing Saudi Arabia to become the world’s largest producer of petroleum. Production in the Permian region of western Texas and eastern New Mexico contribute to most of the growth. In addition, U.S. dry natural gas production increases by 12% to 28.5 billion cubic feet per day, reaching a record high for the second year in a row. (EIA)
Commercial Hydrogen Fuel Cell Usage
There are more than 26,000 hydrogen fuel cell forklifts in use in warehouses, stores, and manufacturing facilities in the United States. Over 30 hydrogen fuel cell buses are providing transit service in various states including California, Massachusetts, Michigan, and Ohio. There are about 40 public, retail hydrogen stations where customers can drive up, fuel, and pay just like at a gasoline station, most located in California. More than 7,500 fuel cell cars are on the road. (EERE)
Photo Credit: BMW Manufacturing
Wind Power Generates More Electricity Than Hydropower
Almost 60,000 wind turbines produce power in 41 states, Guam and Puerto Rico (AWEA). Annual wind generation in the U.S. exceeds hydroelectric generation for the first time. Wind power is now the top renewable source of electricity generation in the country. (EIA)
Photo Credit: Dennis Schroeder/NREL
