More Energy History

Where was the world's first hydroelectric power plant built in 1882? Bonus points if you can also name the river on which it was located.

A)  Bangor, Maine
B)  Harrisburg, Pennsylvania
C)  St. Louis, Missouri
D)  Appleton, Wisconsin

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On September 30, 1882, the world's first hydroelectric power plant began operation on the Fox River in Appleton, Wisconsin. The dam across the Fox River is pictured above. The plant, later named the Appleton Edison Light Company, was initiated by Appleton paper manufacturer H.J. Rogers, who had been inspired by Thomas Edison's plans for an electricity-producing station in New York. Unlike Edison's New York plant which used steam power to drive its generators, the Appleton plant used the natural energy of the Fox River. When the plant opened, it produced enough electricity to light Rogers's home, the plant itself, and a nearby building.