Traditional energy sources in Illinois include coal, oil, and nuclear power. There is presently, however,

much interest in locally produced energy sources that can reduce reliance on energy that originates outside of

Illinois. Wind, com-based ethanol, and soybean-based biodiesel are all examples oflocally produced alternative

energy sources. Other potential Illinois energy sources are crop residues or dedicated plants, primarily perennial

grasses, which are burned to produce heat and electricity or treated with enzymes to produce sugars that can then be used to produce cellulosic ethanol. Plants used in these ways may be termed biomass crops, biofuel crops, bioenergy crops, or feedstocks. One such biomass crop is the US native prairie plant, switchgrass (Panicum virgatum L. Poacea/Gramineae). A warm-season grass, switchgrass can grow to 1.8 m or more; produces short, scaly rhizomes; and is tolerant of a variety of soils. There are two distinct forms of switchgrass, an upland type adapted to the Northern US and a lowland type adapted to the Southern US. It is readily propagated by seed and has been the subject of much research. Moreover, it is already being used in the Midwest to produce

burnable biomass and is being touted as a likely source of ethanol.