"Illinois will be at the center of America’s energy future. Farmers and coal miners from our state will play an important role in our efforts to fight climate change and end our nation’s dependence on foreign oil."

- Senator Roland W. Burris

Senator Burris believes energy independence and climate change are serious challenges that require bold solutions. Current means of energy production and irresponsible consumption habits have compromised our environment and natural resources. We are reliant on unstable regions of the world for oil. Senator Burris believes we need to reform our energy policy to end our addiction to foreign oil, invest in our environment, and create millions of green jobs in research and manufacturing.

Nuclear energy, clean coal, and renewable fuels will all be a part of our new energy paradigm – and that means the people of Illinois will be at the forefront of our national efforts to solve these problems.

Alternative Energy

Today, Illinois stands at the forefront of energy production in the United States. Six nuclear power plants contribute half of our state’s energy. Coal produces the other half. In fact, there is enough coal under the state of Illinois to meet the country’s needs for the next 100 years. That’s why Senator Burris supports projects like FutureGen, a unique public-private partnership to create the world’s first coal-fueled, near-zero emissions power plant.

Improving our vehicles, exploring solar and wind technology, and investing in geothermal energy will not only help solve our energy crisis, it will benefit people all across Illinois.  Already home to the Argonne National Laboratory and Fermi National Accelerator Laboratory, Illinois has the opportunity to continue its strong record of alternative energy exploration.  Developing the next generation of energy sources will create jobs in a number of fields that are beneficial to the well being of our planet as well as our economy.