Energy Research & Development (ERD)

Sunlight, wind, biofuels, fossil fuels, and nuclear fuel are all energy sources, some of which Illinois citizens commonly use every day. Coal and nuclear fuels generate electricity; natural gas heats buildings and supplies energy for industry; petroleum fuels cars, trucks, and airplanes; and electricity lights, heats, and cools homes, offices, factories, and other modern buildings. The United States has one of the most sophisticated energy production and distribution systems in the world. This dynamic system has undergone important changes in recent decades.