Editing Illinois (section)

===Energy===
{{See also|List of power stations in Illinois|Solar power in Illinois}}
Illinois is a net importer of fuels for energy, despite large coal resources and some minor oil production. Illinois exports electricity, ranking fifth among states in electricity production and seventh in electricity consumption.<ref name="finley">"[http://www.isgs.uiuc.edu/maps-data-pub/publications/energy01/globalm.shtml Illinois in the Global Energy Marketplace]" {{webarchive |url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080517110354/http://www.isgs.uiuc.edu/maps-data-pub/publications/energy01/globalm.shtml |date=May 17, 2008 }}, [[Robert Finley]], 2001. Illinois State Geological Survey publication.</ref>

====Coal====
[[File:IllinoisBasinMap.jpg|thumb|Location of the [[Illinois Basin]]]]
The coal industry of Illinois has its origins in the middle 19th century, when entrepreneurs such as [[Jacob Loose]] discovered coal in locations such as [[Sangamon County]]. [[Jacob Bunn]] contributed to the development of the Illinois coal industry and was a founder and owner of the [[Western Coal & Mining Company]] of Illinois. About 68% of Illinois has coal-bearing strata of the [[Pennsylvanian (geology)|Pennsylvanian]] geologic period. According to the Illinois State Geological Survey, 211&nbsp;billion tons of [[bituminous coal]] are estimated to lie under the surface, having a total heating value greater than the estimated oil deposits in the [[Arabian Peninsula]].<ref>Illinois State Geological Survey. [http://www.isgs.illinois.edu/research/coal/illinois-coal.shtml Coal in Illinois] {{Webarchive |url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120212180840/http://www.isgs.illinois.edu/research/coal/illinois-coal.shtml |date=February 12, 2012 }} Retrieved December 4, 2008.</ref> However, this coal has a high [[sulfur]] content, which causes [[acid rain]], unless special equipment is used to reduce [[sulfur dioxide]] [[air pollution|emissions]].<ref name="Nelson"/><ref name="Biles"/><ref name="Horsley"/> Many Illinois [[Power station|power plants]] are not equipped to burn high-sulfur coal. In 1999, Illinois produced 40.4&nbsp;million tons of coal, but only 17&nbsp;million tons (42%) of Illinois coal was consumed in Illinois. Most of the coal produced in Illinois is exported to other states and countries. In 2008, Illinois exported three million tons of coal and was projected to export nine million in 2011, as demand for energy grows in places such as China, India, and elsewhere in Asia and Europe.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.ildceo.net/NR/rdonlyres/EA15E8A9-E0BD-468A-A308-BE58E93D0C03/0/CoalInIllinois2011.pdf |title=DCEO: Home |publisher=Ildceo.net |access-date=February 27, 2016 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131029202930/http://www.ildceo.net/NR/rdonlyres/EA15E8A9-E0BD-468A-A308-BE58E93D0C03/0/CoalInIllinois2011.pdf |archive-date=October 29, 2013 |url-status=dead}}</ref> {{as of|2010}}, Illinois was ranked third in recoverable coal reserves at producing mines in the nation.<ref name="eia.gov"/> Most of the coal produced in Illinois is exported to other states, while much of the coal burned for power in Illinois (21&nbsp;million tons in 1998) is mined in the [[Powder River Basin]] of [[Wyoming]].<ref name="finley"/>

[[Mattoon, Illinois|Mattoon]] was chosen as the site for the [[United States Department of Energy|Department of Energy]]'s [[FutureGen]] project, a 275-megawatt experimental [[zero emission]] coal-burning power plant that the DOE just gave a second round of funding. In 2010, after a number of setbacks, the city of Mattoon backed out of the project.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://permianbasin360.com/fulltext?nxd_id=71755 |title=Illinois Town Gives Up on Futurgen |publisher=Permianbasin360.com |date=August 12, 2010 |access-date=April 29, 2012 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120309053603/http://permianbasin360.com/fulltext?nxd_id=71755 |archive-date=March 9, 2012}}</ref>

====Petroleum====
Illinois is a leading refiner of petroleum in the American [[Midwestern United States|Midwest]], with a combined crude oil distillation capacity of nearly {{cvt|900000|oilbbl/d|m3/d}}. However, Illinois has very limited crude oil proved reserves that account for less than 1% of the U.S. total reserves. Residential heating is 81% natural gas compared to less than 1% [[heating oil]]. Illinois is ranked 14th in [[List of oil-producing states#North America|oil production]] among states, with a daily output of approximately {{cvt|28000|oilbbl|m3}} in 2005.<ref name="EIA_petro">[[United States Department of Energy]]. [http://tonto.eia.doe.gov/oog/info/state/il.html Petroleum Profile: Illinois] {{webarchive |url=https://web.archive.org/web/20091008225316/http://tonto.eia.doe.gov/oog/info/state/il.html |date=October 8, 2009 }}. Retrieved April 4, 2006.</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.eia.gov/state/state-energy-profiles.cfm?sid=IL |title=Illinois—U.S. Energy Information Administration (EIA) |publisher=Eia.gov |date=April 19, 2012 |access-date=April 29, 2012 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120415181347/http://www.eia.gov/state/state-energy-profiles.cfm?sid=IL |archive-date=April 15, 2012 |url-status=live}}</ref>

====Nuclear power====
{{Main|Nuclear power in the United States}}
[[File:Byron Nuclear Power Plant, IL 02.JPG|thumb|[[Byron Nuclear Generating Station]] in [[Ogle County, Illinois|Ogle County]]]]
[[Nuclear power]] arguably began in Illinois with the [[Chicago Pile-1]], the world's first artificial self-sustaining [[nuclear chain reaction]] in the world's first [[nuclear reactor technology|nuclear reactor]], built on the [[University of Chicago]] campus. There are six operating [[nuclear power plant]]s in Illinois: [[Braidwood Nuclear Generating Station|Braidwood]], [[Byron Nuclear Generating Station|Byron]], [[Clinton Nuclear Generating Station|Clinton]], [[Dresden Nuclear Power Plant|Dresden]], [[LaSalle County Generating Station|LaSalle]], and [[Quad Cities Nuclear Generating Station|Quad Cities]].<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.eia.gov/cneaf/nuclear/state_profiles/illinois/il.html |title=Nuclear State Profiles |publisher=Eia.gov |access-date=April 29, 2012 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130117023524/http://www.eia.gov/nuclear/state/ |archive-date=January 17, 2013 |url-status=live}}</ref> With the exception of the single-unit Clinton plant, each of these facilities has two reactors. Three reactors have been permanently shut down and are in various stages of decommissioning: [[Dresden-1]] and [[Zion Nuclear Power Station|Zion-1 and 2]]. Illinois ranked first in the nation in 2010 in both nuclear capacity and nuclear generation. Generation from its nuclear power plants accounted for 12 percent of the nation's total.<ref name="eia.gov"/> In 2007, 48% of Illinois's electricity was generated using nuclear power.<ref name="EIA_glance">{{cite web |url=http://www.eia.doe.gov/cneaf/nuclear/page/at_a_glance/states/statesil.html |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20041109144818/http://www.eia.doe.gov/cneaf/nuclear/page/at_a_glance/states/statesil.html |url-status=dead |archive-date=November 9, 2004 |title=Illinois Nuclear Industry |date=November 6, 2009 |publisher=U.S. Energy Information Administration |access-date=January 29, 2010}}</ref> The [[Morris Operation]] is the only de facto high-level [[radioactive waste]] storage site in the United States.

====Wind power====
{{Main|Wind power in Illinois}}
[[File:Illinois wind resource map 50m 800.jpg|thumb|Average annual wind power distribution for Illinois, {{cvt|50|m}} height above ground (2009)]]
Illinois has seen growing interest in the use of [[wind power]] for electrical generation.<ref>"Illinois Wind". Illinois Institute for Rural Affairs, [[Western Illinois University]] {{usurped|1=[https://web.archive.org/web/20070622022457/http://www.illinoiswind.org/index.asp Illinoiswind.com]}}</ref> Most of Illinois was rated in 2009 as "marginal or fair" for wind energy production by the [[U.S. Department of Energy]], with some western sections rated "good" and parts of the south rated "poor".<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.windpoweringamerica.gov/astate_template.asp?stateab=il |title=Illinois Wind Activities |date=October 20, 2009 |website=[[EERE]] |publisher=U.S. Department of Energy |access-date=January 14, 2010 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100209085417/http://www.windpoweringamerica.gov/astate_template.asp?stateab=il |archive-date=February 9, 2010}}</ref> These ratings are for wind turbines with {{cvt|50|m|adj=on|sp=us}} hub heights; newer wind turbines are taller, enabling them to reach [[wind profile power law|stronger winds farther from the ground]]. As a result, more areas of Illinois have become prospective wind farm sites. As of September 2009, Illinois had 1116.06 [[megawatt|MW]] of installed wind power [[nameplate capacity]] with another 741.9 MW under construction.<ref name="awea_projects_illinois">{{cite web |url=http://www.awea.org/projects/Projects.aspx?s=Illinois |title=U.S. Wind Energy Projects—Illinois |date=September 30, 2009 |publisher=[[American Wind Energy Association]] |access-date=January 14, 2010 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100105174701/http://www.awea.org/projects/Projects.aspx?s=Illinois |archive-date=January 5, 2010}}</ref> Illinois ranked ninth among U.S. states in installed wind power capacity and sixteenth by potential capacity.<ref name="awea_projects_illinois"/> Large [[wind farm]]s in Illinois include [[Twin Groves Wind Farm|Twin Groves]], [[Rail Splitter Wind Farm|Rail Splitter]], [[Acciona Energy|EcoGrove]], and [[Mendota Hills Wind Farm|Mendota Hills]].<ref name="awea_projects_illinois"/>

As of 2007, wind energy represented only 1.7% of Illinois's energy production, and it was estimated that wind power could provide 5–10% of the state's energy needs.<ref>[http://environmentalalmanac.blogspot.com/2006/09/wind-power-on-illinois-horizon.html "Wind Power on the Illinois Horizon"] {{Webarchive |url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080124113615/http://environmentalalmanac.blogspot.com/2006/09/wind-power-on-illinois-horizon.html |date=January 24, 2008 }}, Rob Kanter, September 14, 2006. University of Illinois Environmental Council.</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.eia.doe.gov/cneaf/solar.renewables/page/state_profiles/illinois.html |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080527035341/http://www.eia.doe.gov/cneaf/solar.renewables/page/state_profiles/illinois.html |url-status=dead |archive-date=May 27, 2008 |title=Illinois Renewable Electricity Profile |year=2007 |publisher=U.S. Energy Information Administration |access-date=January 15, 2010}}</ref> Also, the [[Illinois General Assembly]] mandated in 2007 that by 2025, 25% of all electricity generated in Illinois is to come from [[renewable resource]]s.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://centralillinoisproud.com/content/fulltext/?cid=5420 |title=Wind Farm Conference Tackles Complicated Issue |author=Olbert, Lori |date=December 13, 2007 |website=CIProud.com |publisher=[[WYZZ-TV]]/[[WMBD-TV]] |access-date=January 15, 2010}}{{Dead link|date=June 2016|bot=medic}}{{cbignore|bot=medic}}</ref>

====Biofuels====
Illinois is ranked second in [[maize|corn]] production among U.S. states, and Illinois corn is used to produce 40% of the [[ethanol]] consumed in the United States.<ref name="ilcorn"/> The [[Archer Daniels Midland]] corporation in [[Decatur, Illinois]], is the world's leading producer of ethanol from corn.

The National Corn-to-Ethanol Research Center (NCERC), the world's only facility dedicated to researching the ways and means of converting corn (maize) to ethanol is located on the campus of [[Southern Illinois University Edwardsville]].<ref>{{cite web |url=http://illinoisrfa.org/research/ |title=ILFRA |publisher=Illinoisrfa.org |access-date=February 27, 2016 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160304001512/http://illinoisrfa.org/research/ |archive-date=March 4, 2016 |url-status=dead}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.stlrcga.org/documents/corn%20to%20ethanol.pdf |title=Ready for Research |access-date=September 12, 2013 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131006155839/http://www.stlrcga.org/documents/corn%20to%20ethanol.pdf |archive-date=October 6, 2013}}</ref>

[[University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign]] is one of the partners in the [[Energy Biosciences Institute]] (EBI), a $500&nbsp;million biofuels research project funded by petroleum giant [[BP]].<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.bp.com/genericarticle.do?categoryId=2012968&contentId=7018719 |title=BP Pledges $500 Million for Energy Biosciences Institute and Plans New Business to Exploit Research |publisher=Bp.com |date=June 14, 2006 |access-date=May 19, 2012 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120519210908/http://www.bp.com/genericarticle.do?categoryId=2012968&contentId=7018719 |archive-date=May 19, 2012}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.illinois.gov/PressReleases/ShowPressRelease.cfm?SubjectID=2&RecNum=5690 |title=Gov. Blagojevich joins Gov. Schwarzenegger, top BP executives to celebrate launch of $500&nbsp;million biosciences energy research partnership with University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, UC-Berkeley |publisher=Illinois.gov |date=February 1, 2007 |access-date=May 19, 2012 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120526191007/http://www.illinois.gov/PressReleases/ShowPressRelease.cfm?SubjectID=2&RecNum=5690 |archive-date=May 26, 2012}}</ref>