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, corn-based ethanol, and soybean-based biodiesel are all examples of locally 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. In addition to switchgrass, researchers at the University of Illinois are studying another grass, giant miscanthus (Miscanthus × giganteus, Poaceae/Graminae). Giant miscanthus has been widely studied and grown in Europe where it is being used to produce biomass to burn for heat and electricity. The potential for using giant miscanthus as an alternative energy source in Illinois appears to be great: in side-by-side studies at three Illinois locations, giant miscanthus has produced more than double the biomass of upland switchgrass per unit area.