Friday, September 30 — On this date in 1882, the world’s first hydroelectric power plant began operating on the Fox River in Appleton, Wisconsin. Inspired by Thomas Edison, a man named H.F. Rogers built the facility, using a water wheel to power the lights in the Appleton Paper and Pulp Company, a nearby building, and his home. Soon, hydroelectric power plants were spurring industrial growth in many parts of the country.
Hydroelectric power generation. Courtesy: US Geological Survey.
Today, 412 hydroelectric power establishments across the U.S. produce about 6 percent of our electric power, but nearly half of the total from renewable resources. Around 33 percent of the more than 4 trillion kilowatt hours of electricity generated is from coal-fired plants, followed closely by those using natural gas, then nuclear power.
You can find more facts about America from the U.S. Census Bureau online.
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