Natural Resources

Rows of green soybeans are a common sight in the fertile farm fields of Illinois. The typically three-foot high crop breaks up the sometimes monotonous rows of corn fields that Illinois is most famous for.

While Illinois produces significantly more corn per year, the state ranks first in the country in annual soybean production.

Even if you’re surrounded by soybean fields, you may not be aware of how often you come in contact with Illinois-grown soybeans.

While Chicago is known as the Windy City, the entire state of Illinois is harnessing the natural power of the wind to produce clean energy and reduce pollution. The first wind farm in Illinois, Mendota Hills near Paw Paw, was activated in 2003. In the decade since this first installation, wind energy capacity in Illinois showed extraordinary growth. Illinois law pushed this wind innovation. By 2025, under the Illinois Renewable Portfolio Standard, 25 percent of Illinois electricity must come from renewable sources. In 2013, wind energy accounted for 4.7 percent of all electric generation in Illinois, enough energy to power the equivalent of 880,000 homes.