Energy
Wind Power Turbines The 9th District
of Illinois is blessed with Lake Michigan.
A valuable source of natural energy in the form
of wind power, Lake Michigan provides enough
wind that can generate enormous amounts of
energy. When harnessed, this wind can supply enough
energy to power the entire state of Illinois and
possibly even the Midwest. Wind power is the
conversion of wind energy into more useful
forms, such as electricity. Using wind turbines
accounts for approximately 20% of electricity
use in Denmark, 9% in Spain, and 7% in Germany.
Globally, wind power generation has more than
quadrupled between 2000 and 2006. Oil Shale
Oil shale is fine-grained sedimentary rock
containing significant amounts of kerogen (a
solid mixture of organic chemical compounds)
from which liquid hydrocarbons can be
manufactured. World deposits of oil shale are
estimated to equal 2.9 – 3.3 trillion barrels of
recoverable oil. Approximately 2 trillion barrels are
known to be located in the United States.
We need to implement new technology that can
better process and refine oil shale to reduce
our dependence on foreign oil.
Biofuel Sources
Switchgrass is often
considered a good candidate for biofuel
production, particularly ethanol fuel, due to
its hardiness against poor soil and climate
conditions, rapid growth with low fertilization,
and herbicide requirements. Switchgrass is also
perennial, unlike corn and sugarcane, and has a
huge biomass output of 6-10 tons per acre.
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