Energy
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Energy Supply and Demand

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When the first domestic coal was mined in the late 1770s and the first oil wells were drilled in the mid-1800s, it seemed that the United States had an endless supply of cheap energy. But machines replaced hand tools, and cars replaced horses. Cities and industries grew, and consumption of oil and oil products increased. By the 1970s the United States was consuming more oil than it was producing. The country became dependent on foreign oil.

Figure 7. World's first car. 1801 Clamborne Road Locomotive invented by a Cornish engineer, Richard Trevithick

Figure 7
World's first car
1801 Clamborne Road Locomotive invented by a Cornish engineer, Richard Trevithick

Figure 8. U.S. petroleum consumption. Source: U.S. Department of Energy, 2005

Figure 8
U.S. petroleum consumption
Source: U.S. Department of Energy, 2005

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