U.S. Energy History Timeline

First commercial U.S. coal production

Commercial coal mining began near Richmond, Virginia, marking the start of large-scale fossil fuel use that would later power industry and electricity.

Franklin kite experiment

Benjamin Franklin's kite experiment helped establish the connection between lightning and electricity—an early step toward harnessing electric power.

Watt steam engine improves coal-fired work

James Watt's improved steam engine made coal-fired mechanical power practical for factories, mines, and later railroads.

Wood dominates U.S. energy at independence

When the Declaration of Independence was signed, wood—a renewable biomass fuel—was the largest source of energy in the United States for heating, cooking, and light.

First commercially viable steamboat

Robert Fulton's steamboat work helped tie steam power to American transport.

First U.S. gas utility — Baltimore

Rembrandt Peale and partners incorporated the Gas Light Company of Baltimore in June 1816—the nation's first commercial gas lighting utility. Service used manufactured coal gas for street lamps (first lit February 1817), predating drilled natural-gas wells like Fredonia (1821).

Note: Manufactured coal gas utility; distinct from 1821 Fredonia drilled natural gas well.

First U.S. natural gas well — Fredonia, New York

William Hart dug a 27-foot well in Fredonia, New York—the first U.S. well drilled specifically to produce geologic natural gas, distinct from Baltimore's manufactured-gas utility (1816).

Law of conservation of energy formulated

Julius Robert von Mayer, James Prescott Joule, and Hermann von Helmholtz articulated that energy transforms rather than being created or destroyed—a foundation for modern energy accounting.

First patented self-regulating windmill

Daniel Halladay's commercially successful windmill pumped water across the American West—mechanical wind power before the grid.

First U.S. oil well at Titusville, Pennsylvania

Edwin Drake's drilled well near Titusville, Pennsylvania, launched the modern American petroleum industry.

Wood still primary for homes and steam

Wood remained the primary fuel for heating and cooking in homes and businesses and powered steam in industries, trains, and boats.

Standard Oil founded

John D. Rockefeller organized Standard Oil, pioneering pipeline transport and refinery integration that shaped U.S. petroleum markets.

Brayton constant-pressure engine

George Brayton patented an internal-combustion engine that influenced later gas turbines.

Brush electric arc lighting

Charles Brush deployed arc lighting systems in U.S. cities before incandescent dominance.

Edison demonstrates practical incandescent lighting

Thomas Edison's incandescent lamp made electric lighting commercially viable and set the stage for central power stations.

Pelton water wheel

Lester Pelton's impulse turbine design improved hydro mechanical efficiency.

First U.S. industrial hydroelectric use

A dynamo at the Wolverine Chair Factory in Grand Rapids, Michigan, used hydropower to light lamps—early industrial use, not a public utility sale.

Note: Distinct from Pearl Street (1882) and Appleton public hydro sale (1882).

Appleton — first U.S. hydro plant selling to the public

The Vulcan Street plant on the Fox River near Appleton, Wisconsin, became the world's first hydroelectric plant to sell electricity to the public.

Note: First public hydro sale; distinct from Pearl Street coal station (1882) and Grand Rapids industrial use (1880).

Pearl Street Station — first U.S. commercial central station

Thomas Edison's coal-fired Pearl Street Station in New York City began supplying electricity for household lighting—often cited as the first commercial central power station.

Note: Separate from Appleton hydro (1882), which first sold hydroelectricity to the public.

First U.S. solar cell

Charles Fritts built an early solar cell on a New York rooftop—efficiency was below 1%, but it demonstrated photovoltaic potential.

Coal becomes largest U.S. energy source

Coal surpassed wood as the nation's largest energy source—a shift driven by railroads, steel, and electric utilities.

Brush wind turbine generates electricity in Cleveland

Charles Brush operated a large wind turbine in Cleveland, Ohio—among the first U.S. installations to generate electricity from wind.

Automobiles drive gasoline demand

Mass production of automobiles created demand for gasoline; kerosene had previously been the main oil product.

Boise district geothermal heating

Boise, Idaho, opened one of the first geothermal district heating systems in the U.S.

Niagara Falls hydropower reaches Buffalo

The Niagara Falls hydropower station began sending alternating-current electricity more than 20 miles to Buffalo, New York.

Curtis steam turbine generator

Charles Curtis's turbine helped utilities scale central-station power.

Spindletop gusher — modern petroleum era

Anthony Lucas's January 1901 blowout at Spindletop, Texas, proved massive-scale oil production from Gulf Coast salt domes—launching Texaco, Gulf Oil, and the industrial petroleum era.

Electrostatic precipitator invented

Frederick Cottrell's device reduced particulate emissions from coal plants.

Model T mass production fuels gasoline demand

Henry Ford's assembly line made automobiles affordable, locking in petroleum-based transportation for the 20th century.

Standard Oil trust dissolved

The Supreme Court breakup reshaped U.S. petroleum competition.

PJM interconnection formed

PJM began as a power pool coordinating dispatch among utilities—early precedent for today's RTOs.

Tennessee Valley Authority created

TVA integrated flood control, navigation, and power generation across the Tennessee Valley— a model of regional public power.

Federal Power Act creates Federal Power Commission

The Federal Power Act regulated interstate electricity transmission and wholesale sales, establishing the Federal Power Commission (predecessor to FERC).

Public Utility Holding Company Act (PUHCA)

Passed alongside the Federal Power Act, PUHCA broke up sprawling utility holding-company trusts and gave the SEC broad oversight of electric and gas corporate structures—shaping U.S. utility monopolies until repeal in the 2005 Energy Policy Act.

Rural Electrification Administration established

The REA brought loans and technical support to extend electric lines to farms and rural communities still without grid service.

Hoover Dam begins operation

Hoover Dam on the Colorado River began generating hydropower and transmitting electricity hundreds of miles—symbol of New Deal infrastructure.

Natural Gas Act — federal pipeline regulation

The Natural Gas Act extended Federal Power Commission jurisdiction over interstate natural gas transportation and wholesale sales—foundational authority now exercised by FERC over pipeline certificates and rates.

First silicon solar cell (Bell Labs)

Bell Labs demonstrated a silicon photovoltaic cell—ancestor of modern PV modules.

Grand Coulee Dam begins operation

Grand Coulee on the Columbia River became the nation's largest hydroelectric dam at the time.

Smith-Putnam — first megawatt-scale U.S. wind turbine

The 1.25 MW Smith-Putnam turbine on Grandpa's Knob, Vermont, briefly fed the local grid—decades ahead of the modern wind industry.

First controlled nuclear chain reaction

Enrico Fermi's team at the University of Chicago achieved the first controlled nuclear chain reaction—precursor to atomic power and weapons.

Hydraulic fracturing demonstrated

Stanolind Oil & Gas applied hydraulic fracturing in Kansas wells.

Hydropower supplied about one-third of U.S. electricity

Conventional hydropower provided roughly one-third of U.S. electricity—a peak share before nuclear and fossil growth.

Farm electrification nearly universal

By the early 1950s, electricity had reached nearly all American farms—up from about 11% in 1932—closing the rural-urban gap.

Note: EIA cites 'almost all' by 1950; ClearPath cites 90%+ by 1953—presented as early 1950s.

Petroleum becomes largest U.S. energy source

Petroleum surpassed coal as the most-consumed U.S. energy source—a position it has held since 1950.

First electricity from atom (EBR-I)

Experimental Breeder Reactor I in Idaho produced the first usable nuclear electricity.

Modern oil pumpjack popularized

The pumpjack became the iconic symbol of onshore oil production.

Bell Labs silicon photovoltaic cell

Bell Laboratories demonstrated a practical silicon solar cell—about 6% efficient—opening the path to space and grid applications.

Phillips v. Wisconsin — FPC regulates wellhead gas

The Supreme Court held that natural gas producers selling into interstate pipelines were subject to Federal Power Commission rate regulation—beginning decades of federal wellhead price controls later unwound by NGPA and decontrol acts.

Shippingport — first U.S. nuclear plant for customers

The Shippingport Atomic Power Station in Pennsylvania became the first U.S. nuclear power plant to supply electricity to the grid for customers.

Note: Obninsk, USSR (1954) was the world's first grid-connected nuclear plant—outside U.S.-primary scope except as context.

Natural gas surpasses coal in U.S. consumption

Natural gas became the second-largest U.S. energy source, passing coal—reflecting pipeline buildout and utility fuel switching.

Keeling begins continuous CO₂ measurements

Charles Keeling's Mauna Loa record documented rising atmospheric CO₂—key evidence for climate science.

First U.S. LNG cargo crosses the Atlantic

The Methane Pioneer carried liquefied natural gas from Louisiana to the United Kingdom—early proof of long-distance gas trade.

Offshore drilling advances

Subsea drilling technology expanded Gulf of Mexico production.

The Geysers — first U.S. commercial geothermal plant

Pacific Gas & Electric opened a 10-megawatt unit at The Geysers in California—the first commercial-scale U.S. geothermal development.

OPEC formed

Iran, Iraq, Kuwait, Saudi Arabia, and Venezuela formed OPEC, later central to global oil supply and price dynamics.

Coal becomes dominant U.S. utility fuel

Coal became the major fuel for U.S. electric utilities; today more than 90% of U.S. coal use is for electricity generation.

Northeast blackout of 1965

On November 9, a cascading transmission failure left roughly 30 million people without power across the Northeast and Ontario—catalyzing NERC and modern grid reliability thinking.

Kenai, Alaska — first U.S. LNG export plant

Phillips Petroleum and Marathon opened the Kenai LNG export facility in Alaska—the first U.S. plant built to liquefy and export natural gas, distinct from the 1959 Methane Pioneer transatlantic cargo.

Note: 1959 Methane Pioneer was a transatlantic LNG cargo; 1969 Kenai was the first U.S. export plant.

Santa Barbara Channel oil spill

A January 1969 Union Oil blowout off California spilled crude along the coast—spurring offshore drilling moratorium momentum and stronger federal environmental enforcement.

Clean Air Act of 1970

Congress passed the foundational Clean Air Act establishing federal air-quality standards for mobile and stationary sources—distinct from the 1990 amendments that added the acid rain program.

First U.S. CO₂ pipeline

Shell built an early large-scale CO₂ pipeline for enhanced oil recovery.

National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA)

NEPA required federal agencies to assess environmental impacts before major energy and infrastructure decisions—foundational to modern project review.

Arab oil embargo triples prices

Arab OPEC producers embargoed oil to the U.S. and allies; prices tripled and motorists faced shortages and rationing.

Hot dry rock geothermal research at Fenton Hill

Los Alamos National Laboratory began hot dry rock experiments in New Mexico—a pathway toward engineered geothermal systems.

Nuclear Regulatory Commission established

The Energy Reorganization Act split the Atomic Energy Commission into the NRC (licensing and safety) and ERDA—reshaping U.S. nuclear regulation for the post-TMI and post-Fukushima eras.

Strategic Petroleum Reserve created

The Energy Policy and Conservation Act established the SPR to buffer the economy from supply disruptions.

Department of Energy established

Congress created the U.S. Department of Energy, consolidating federal energy programs and national laboratories.

Federal Energy Regulatory Commission replaces FPC

Congress replaced the Federal Power Commission with FERC to regulate interstate electricity and natural gas.

Solar Energy Research Institute (now NREL) established

DOE stood up SERI—later the National Renewable Energy Laboratory—to advance solar, wind, and grid integration research.

Trans-Alaska Pipeline completed

TAPS linked Prudhoe Bay oil to Valdez export terminal.

Natural Gas Policy Act (NGPA)

The Natural Gas Policy Act extended FERC authority to intrastate production and began phased wellhead price decontrol—starting the shift from regulated gas prices toward market clearing that completed in the 1990s.

PURPA encourages renewable and cogeneration QFs

The Public Utility Regulatory Policies Act required utilities to buy power from qualifying facilities—including small hydro, wind, and geothermal.

Iran revolution spikes oil prices

The Iranian revolution removed roughly 4 million barrels per day from markets; oil prices jumped about 150% in weeks.

U.S. nuclear new-build orders collapse

After Three Mile Island, U.S. utilities effectively stopped ordering new reactors—ending the first commercial nuclear build-out and leaving a decades-long gap until Vogtle.

Three Mile Island partial meltdown

A partial meltdown at Three Mile Island, Pennsylvania, shook public confidence in nuclear power amid already slowing new plant orders.

SEGS I — first U.S. commercial solar trough plant

Solar Electric Generating System I in California paired trough collectors with a conventional steam turbine—early utility-scale solar thermal.

First U.S. wood-fired plant for electricity primary use

Burlington Electric's 50 MW wood plant in Vermont was among the first built primarily to sell power, not just process steam.

California wind capacity exceeds 1,000 MW

Tax credits and PURPA contracts spurred a wind boom in California; capacity passed 1 GW though early turbines were inefficient.

Chernobyl — U.S. nuclear safety reforms

The 1986 Chernobyl disaster in the Soviet Union intensified U.S. reactor safety culture, contributed to formation of the Institute of Nuclear Power Operations (INPO), and reinforced licensing scrutiny.

Exxon Valdez oil spill

The March 1989 tanker spill in Alaska's Prince William Sound released over 11 million gallons of crude—prompting the Oil Pollution Act of 1990 and global momentum toward double-hull tankers.

Natural Gas Wellhead Decontrol Act

Congress passed the Natural Gas Wellhead Decontrol Act, completing phased wellhead price deregulation begun under the 1978 NGPA—wellhead prices were fully market-based by January 1993.

Clean Air Act Amendments phase in cleaner fuels

Amendments required cleaner gasoline and diesel and promoted natural gas in power generation and transportation.

Acid Rain Program under Clean Air Act

Cap-and-trade for SO₂ from power plants reduced acid rain.

Oil Pollution Act of 1990

Signed after the Exxon Valdez spill, OPA strengthened spill liability, response planning, and double-hull requirements for U.S. tanker operations.

Energy Policy Act supports renewables

EPAct authorized a production tax credit for wind and reformed utility holding company rules.

FERC Order 636 — pipeline unbundling

Order 636 required interstate gas pipelines to unbundle merchant gas sales from transportation—transforming U.S. gas markets toward transparent, competitive pipeline service.

U.S. becomes net petroleum importer

For the first time, the United States imported more oil and refined products than it produced domestically.

FERC Order 888 — Open Access Transmission Service (OATT) and Functional Unbundling

Order 888 established the foundational framework for open, non-discriminatory access to electric transmission systems across the United States. It required all public utilities that own, control, or…

FERC Order 889 — OASIS, Real-Time Transmission Information, and Standards of Conduct

Order 889 is the companion to Order 888. It required transmission providers to implement the Open Access Same-Time Information System (OASIS) so that available transmission capability and pricing…

FERC Order 2000 — Regional Transmission Organizations (RTOs)

Order 2000 encouraged the formation of regional transmission organizations (RTOs) and independent system operators (ISOs) to administer regional transmission systems and wholesale markets in ways…

California electricity crisis

Market design flaws, drought, and supply shortages during 2000–2001 drove rolling blackouts and price spikes in California—reshaping FERC wholesale market rules and RTO governance.

FERC Order 2003 — Standardization of Generator Interconnection Agreements and Procedures

Order 2003 standardized the interconnection procedures and agreements for large generators (generally greater than 20 MW) seeking to connect to the interstate transmission grid. FERC established the…

Northeast blackout — largest U.S. grid failure

On August 14, 2003, a cascading transmission failure starting in Ohio left roughly 55 million people without power across the Northeast and Midwest—the largest blackout in North American history.

Note: 1965 Northeast blackout was the first major cascade; 2003 was the largest North American event.

FERC Order 2003-A — Generator Interconnection - Order A

Order 2003-A addressed rehearing requests on the large generator interconnection standardization rules, providing clarifications on study processes, cost responsibilities, and procedural…

FERC Order 2003-B — Generator Interconnection - Order B

Order 2003-B provided additional clarifications to the large generator interconnection rules following further rehearing requests, refining implementation guidance for transmission providers and…

FERC Order 2004 — Standardization of Small Generator Interconnection Agreements

Order 2004 established standardized small generator interconnection agreements and procedures so that smaller generating facilities could connect to the grid under clear, comparable terms across…

U.S. coal consumption peaks

Coal use peaked around 2005 and has since fallen by more than half, largely because utilities burned less coal for electricity.

Energy Policy Act of 2005

Congress expanded renewable fuel mandates and transmission incentives—part of the policy stack shaping today's grid.

FERC Order 2006 — Standardization of Small Generator Interconnection Procedures

Order 2006 standardized the interconnection procedures and agreements for small generators (generally 20 MW or less) seeking to connect to the transmission grid, creating a simplified path parallel…

Shale gas revolution expands supply

Hydraulic fracturing and horizontal drilling in shale formations rapidly increased U.S. natural gas production and lowered prices.

FERC Order 2004-A — Standardization of Small Generator Interconnection Agreements - Order A

Order 2004-A addressed rehearing requests related to the standardization of small generator interconnection agreements and procedures, clarifying compliance requirements for transmission providers.…

FERC Order 2006-A — Small Generator Interconnection - Order A

Order 2006-A addressed rehearing requests on the small generator interconnection standardization rules, clarifying study processes and cost responsibilities for smaller projects. FERC refined…

FERC Order 670 — Prohibition of Energy Market Manipulation

Order 670 implemented the Energy Policy Act of 2005’s prohibition on market manipulation for wholesale electricity markets (and related natural gas provisions). It established a clearer framework for…

FERC Order 676 — Amendments to Blanket Sales Certificates and Blanket Sales Authorizations

Order 676 established updated procedures for entities seeking to sell wholesale electricity at market-based rates under blanket sales certificates. FERC reformed the market-based rate authorization…

FERC Order 679 — Transmission Infrastructure Investment Incentives

Order 679 created incentive mechanisms intended to encourage transmission investment by allowing certain prudent investments to be recovered through rates under defined conditions. The order…

FERC Order 676-A — Blanket Sales Certificates - Order A

Order 676-A amended aspects of the blanket sales certificate and market-based rate framework established in Order 676, updating how sellers demonstrate lack of market power and refining related…

FERC Order 693 — Large Generator Interconnection Agreement Procedures

Order 693 addressed large generator interconnection agreement procedures, refining how utilities process interconnection requests for large generating facilities. It sits in the same policy family as…

FERC Order 714 — Electronic Tariff Filing

Order 714 required electric utilities and other FERC-regulated entities to file their tariffs electronically using a standardized XML-based format, replacing the prior system of paper and PDF…

FERC Order 890 — Preventing Undue Discrimination and Preference in Transmission Service

Order 890 significantly strengthened and reformed the Open Access Transmission Tariff (OATT) framework first established in Order 888, finding that undue discrimination persisted across the industry.…

FERC Order 890-A — OATT Reform - Order A

Order 890-A addressed requests for rehearing and clarification of the 2007 OATT reform order. FERC clarified and, in some instances, modified requirements established in Order 890 in response to…

FERC Order 890-B — OATT Reform - Order B

Order 890-B provided further clarifications and modifications to the OATT reform rules following additional rehearing requests from industry parties. It addressed remaining disputes over specific…

FERC Order 890-C — OATT Reform - Order C

Order 890-C addressed remaining rehearing requests and provided final clarifications to the OATT reform framework established in Order 890. The order resolved lingering compliance questions and…

FERC Order 890-D — OATT Reform - Order D

Order 890-D issued final compliance-related clarifications and amendments to the OATT reform requirements. As the last in the 890 series, it resolved outstanding issues and provided definitive…

FERC Order 2006-B — Small Generator Interconnection - Order B

Order 2006-B provided additional clarifications to the small generator interconnection framework, addressing compliance questions from transmission providers and small generator developers about the…

FERC Order 676-B — Blanket Sales Certificates - Order B

Order 676-B continued incremental updates to blanket sales certificate rules, clarifying compliance expectations and market power analysis for entities authorized to sell power at market-based rates.

FERC Order 714-A — Electronic Tariff Filing - Order A

Order 714-A addressed rehearing requests on the electronic tariff filing requirements, providing clarifications on the XML format specifications, filing procedures, and implementation timelines. FERC…

FERC Order 717 — Standards of Conduct for Transmission Providers (18 CFR Part 358)

Order 717 adopted revised Standards of Conduct for transmission providers under 18 CFR Part 358, moving to a functional employee-based approach for separating transmission functions from marketing…

FERC Order 719 — Wholesale Competition in Regions with Organized Wholesale Energy Markets

Order 719 addressed wholesale competition in regions with organized wholesale energy markets, including issues that intersect with how jurisdictional boundaries and market rules affect competitive…

ARPA-E established

Advanced Research Projects Agency–Energy funded high-risk energy R&D.

EPA endangerment finding for greenhouse gases

EPA determined that greenhouse gases threaten public health and welfare—establishing the legal basis for federal GHG regulation of power plants and vehicles.

FERC Order 676-C — Blanket Sales Certificates - Order C

Order 676-C further refined FERC’s market-based rate policies for blanket sales certificate holders, addressing implementation issues raised after earlier orders in the 676 series.

FERC Order 717-A — Standards of Conduct — Rehearing and Clarification (Order 717-A)

Order 717-A addressed rehearing and clarification requests on the Standards of Conduct rules, refining how transmission providers implement functional separation, information sharing boundaries, and…

FERC Order 717-B — Standards of Conduct — Further Guidance (Order 717-B)

Order 717-B provided further guidance on Standards of Conduct implementation, resolving remaining questions about how the rules apply in specific operational and organizational contexts for…

Deepwater Horizon disaster

An offshore drilling blowout in the Gulf of Mexico killed 11 workers and spilled oil for months—reshaping offshore regulation.

FERC Order 676-D — Blanket Sales Certificates - Order D

Order 676-D issued additional amendments to the blanket sales and market-based rate program, tightening analytical requirements and transparency for wholesale electricity sellers.

FERC Order 676-E — Blanket Sales Certificates - Order E

Order 676-E updated the blanket sales certificate framework ahead of later revisions in Order 676-F, addressing reporting and market power review practices for sellers relying on blanket…

DOE SunShot Initiative

SunShot targeted cost reductions for solar to accelerate deployment.

FERC Order 1000 — Transmission Planning and Cost Allocation

Order 1000 established comprehensive requirements for regional and interregional transmission planning and cost allocation, marking a landmark shift in how the U.S. power grid is expanded. The order…

FERC Order 1000-A — Transmission Planning and Cost Allocation - Order A

Order 1000-A addressed rehearing requests on the transmission planning and cost allocation rules, clarifying compliance requirements and implementation timelines for transmission providers. FERC…

FERC Order 676-F — Blanket Sales Certificates - Order F

Order 676-F amended the market-based rate rules to update reporting requirements and refine the market power analysis framework for wholesale electricity sellers. This amendment addressed changes in…

FERC Order 745 — Demand Response Compensation in Organized Wholesale Energy Markets

Order 745 required organized wholesale energy markets to accept demand-response resources comparable to generation when they can meet established capability requirements, and to compensate them at…

FERC Order 771 — Frequency Regulation Compensation in Organized Wholesale Power Markets

Order 771 required Regional Transmission Organizations (RTOs) and Independent System Operators (ISOs) to compensate frequency regulation service providers based on actual performance, not just…

Fukushima — U.S. nuclear policy response

After Japan's March 2011 Fukushima disaster, the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission ordered fleet-wide safety reviews and contributed to licensing delays for new reactors.

Southwest cold snap — ERCOT load shedding

A February 2011 cold snap triggered ERCOT load shedding affecting 3.2 million customers and gas curtailments across the Southwest. FERC and NERC winterization recommendations went largely unimplemented—foreshadowing Uri in 2021.

FERC Order 1000-B — Transmission Planning and Cost Allocation - Order B

Order 1000-B provided final clarifications on the transmission planning and cost allocation framework, addressing remaining compliance issues raised by transmission providers and stakeholders. The…

FERC Order 764 — Integration of Variable Energy Resources

Order 764 required transmission providers to revise their tariffs to facilitate better integration of variable energy resources, particularly wind and solar generation. The order mandated the…

FERC Order 770 — Transmission Planning Reliability Standards

Order 770 required the Electric Reliability Organization (NERC) to develop and submit new or modified reliability standards addressing gaps in transmission planning. The order directed NERC to ensure…

FERC Order 771-A — Frequency Regulation - Order A

Order 771-A addressed rehearing requests on the frequency regulation compensation rules, clarifying performance measurement methodologies and payment calculations for regulation service providers.…

U.S. installed wind capacity passes 60 GW

Wind became a mainstream generation resource with more than 60 GW installed nationwide.

FERC Order 764-A — Integration of Variable Energy Resources - Order A

Order 764-A refined and clarified aspects of the variable energy resource integration reforms adopted in Order 764, addressing implementation questions on scheduling, dispatch, and tariff changes…

FERC Order 784 — Third-Party Provision of Ancillary Services

Order 784 required transmission providers to allow third parties — not just the incumbent transmission owner — to provide certain ancillary services to transmission customers. Previously, vertically…

FERC Order 792 — Small Generator Interconnection Agreements and Procedures

Order 792 updated the small generator interconnection procedures to better accommodate new types of distributed energy resources, including solar photovoltaic systems, fuel cells, and energy storage…

FERC Order 676-G — Blanket Sales Certificates - Order G

Order 676-G provided further updates to the blanket sales certificate and market-based rate rules, addressing compliance questions and refining certain reporting obligations for wholesale electricity…

FERC Order 764-B — Integration of Variable Energy Resources - Order B

Order 764-B addressed rehearing requests on the variable energy resource integration rules, clarifying implementation requirements for intra-hourly scheduling and other provisions. FERC provided…

FERC Order 784-A — Ancillary Services - Order A

Order 784-A addressed rehearing requests on the third-party ancillary services rules, providing clarifications on competitive procurement requirements, service specifications, and the criteria for…

Congress lifts crude oil export ban

Buried in the December 2015 omnibus spending bill, repeal of the 1975 crude export ban—instituted after the Arab oil embargo—let U.S. shale producers sell crude globally as domestic production surged.

FERC Order 792-A — Small Generator Interconnection - Order A

Order 792-A addressed rehearing requests on the updated small generator interconnection procedures, clarifying technical requirements and implementation guidance for transmission providers and…

FERC Order 819 — Electric Reliability Organization Interpretation Process

Order 819 established the formal process by which the Electric Reliability Organization (ERO) — NERC — may seek and obtain authoritative interpretations of mandatory reliability standards. Prior to…

FERC Order 827 — Settlement Intervals and Shortage Pricing in Markets Operated by RTOs and ISOs

Order 827 required RTOs and ISOs to shorten their market settlement intervals from 60 minutes to 15 minutes in wholesale electricity markets. Hourly settlement intervals were creating financial…

Biofuels become top U.S. renewable source

Biofuels surpassed wood as the most-consumed U.S. renewable energy source—reflecting ethanol in motor gasoline.

FERC Order 676-H — Blanket Sales Certificates - Order H

Order 676-H issued additional amendments to the market-based rate framework, updating requirements in response to changes in wholesale electricity markets and addressing new challenges in evaluating…

FERC Order 807 — Reactive Power Requirements for Non-Synchronous Generation

Order 807 addressed the compensation of non-synchronous generators — primarily inverter-based wind and solar resources — for providing reactive power service to maintain grid voltage stability. As…

Sabine Pass — first Lower-48 LNG export terminal

Cheniere's Sabine Pass facility in Louisiana began exporting LNG from the Lower 48—closing the loop from 1959 import cargo and 1969 Kenai exports to shale-era global gas sales.

FERC Order 807-A — Reactive Power Requirements - Order A

Order 807-A addressed rehearing requests on the reactive power compensation rules for non-synchronous generators, clarifying technical standards, capability calculation methodologies, and…

FERC Order 842 — Essential Reliability Services and the Evolving Bulk-Power System

Order 842 required all new generators seeking to interconnect to the bulk power system to demonstrate they have the technical capability to provide primary frequency response — the automatic,…

FERC Order 845 — Reform of Generator Interconnection Procedures and Agreements

Order 845 reformed the large generator interconnection procedures to better accommodate the evolving resource mix, particularly variable energy resources like wind and solar. Key changes included new…

Gas tops all sectors for U.S. electric power use

More natural gas has been consumed in the U.S. electric power sector than in any other sector every year since 2018.

FERC Order 845-A — Generator Interconnection Reform - Order A

Order 845-A addressed rehearing requests on the generator interconnection procedure reforms, providing clarifications on surplus interconnection service provisions and other requirements. FERC…

U.S. becomes net total energy exporter

For the first time since the 1950s, the United States exported more total energy than it imported—driven by surging oil and gas production after the shale boom and 2015 crude export repeal.

Advanced Reactor Demonstration Program

DOE funded demonstrations of next-generation nuclear reactors.

Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act

IIJA funded grid modernization, transmission, and clean energy demonstration projects.

Winter Storm Uri — Texas grid collapse

February 2021 freezing weather knocked out gas supply and power plants across ERCOT; rolling blackouts left more than 4.5 million customers without power and renewed national debate on weatherization and grid resilience.

NIF achieves fusion ignition breakthrough

Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory's National Ignition Facility reported fusion energy gain—a research milestone, not grid power.

Inflation Reduction Act signed

The IRA extended and expanded tax credits for wind, solar, storage, and other clean energy technologies.

FERC Order 2023 — Improvements to Generator Interconnection Procedures and Agreements

Order 2023 comprehensively reformed the generator interconnection queue process to address the unprecedented backlog of projects waiting to connect to the transmission grid, driven largely by the…

FERC Order 2023-A — Generator Interconnection Reforms - Order A

Order 2023-A addressed rehearing requests on the generator interconnection queue reform rules, clarifying compliance obligations and refining specific provisions in response to industry feedback.…

U.S. natural gas consumption hits record

Natural gas consumption reached about 33.6 quads, driven largely by electric power sector use.

Renewables surpass coal in U.S. primary consumption

Under EIA's captured-energy approach, U.S. renewable consumption exceeded coal for the first time since about 1885—each about 8.2 quads.

Note: Under the prior fossil-fuel-equivalency method, crossover occurred in 2019.

U.S. renewable consumption record

Renewable energy consumption reached a record 8.2 quads, led by biofuels in transport and solar for electricity.

Vogtle Unit 3 — first new U.S. AP1000 reactor

Georgia Power's Vogtle Unit 3 entered commercial operation as the first AP1000 design and first new U.S. nuclear reactor in decades, adding roughly 1.1 GW of capacity.

First U.S. commercial direct-air capture

Heirloom opened a commercial DAC facility—early industrial carbon removal at scale.

Grid-scale wave energy converter deployed

U.S. Navy and EERE supported a grid-connected wave energy pilot off the Oregon coast.

FERC Order 1920 — Long-Term Transmission Planning

Order 1920 advanced long-term transmission planning and related requirements for transmission providers, reflecting continued emphasis on forward-looking planning as the resource mix evolves and the…

Palisades nuclear plant restart approved

Holtec International plans to return Palisades in Michigan to service—potentially the first U.S. reactor restart after shutdown.