Energy and infrastructure are at the core of Illinois’ economic strength, environmental resilience, and community well-being. As the demand for clean energy grows and infrastructure systems face new challenges, innovative, science-based solutions are needed to sustain progress. PRI provides the data, research, and expertise essential for the responsible development of renewable energy, efficient carbon management strategies, and resilient infrastructure systems. PRI’s interdisciplinary approach equips decision-makers with the tools to balance environmental stewardship with economic development, supporting a sustainable future for Illinois and beyond.

Energy

Safe, cost-effective renewable energy sources and methods for mitigating greenhouse gas emissions are needed to protect the environment while meeting future energy needs.

PRI provides data needed to responsibly site solar and wind energy facilities and leads applied research in biofuels, critical minerals, geothermal energy, and hydrogen storage, helping to advance Illinois and the world toward a more sustainable future.

Solar & wind energy

Solar power array development in Illinois has been targeting industrially zoned settings such as land around coal mines, aggregate mines (both active and abandoned), and abandoned oil well fields. Changing zoning designations, whether urban or rural, is a time-intensive and expensive process, so already industrially zoned locations are enticing. In addition, these sites have existing industrial-scale electrical grid hookups and, in the case of active mines, onsite electrical demands.

The development and siting of industrial-scale solar power generating arrays in Illinois — and wind generation facilities, as well — require a thorough understanding of the underlying geology, including geologic hazards, potential subsurface environmental concerns, and the potential for preexisting subsurface infrastructure such as mined out areas and abandoned oil wells. 

PRI assists in siting efforts by providing access to its extensive databases of geologic and mine maps, drill hole records, geologic records, and other information via its ILMINES database, ILOIL database, and other data repositories.

Additionally, PRI biologists help to mitigate the impacts of wind energy on Illinois’ wildlife. 

Using acoustic monitoring, staff can determine where bats are most active across the state. This information is shared with the Illinois Department of Natural Resources and U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service to inform the siting of new wind farms.

Working with IDNR, PRI biologists assessed the effectiveness of a cave gate installed by Pioneer Wind Farm to allow free passage of native bats and protect against the spread of white-nose syndrome. Working with Apex Clean Energy and the not-for-profit Grand Prairie Friends, PRI conducted monitoring of bat biodiversity and installed artificial bat roosts to expand bat habitat in east-central Illinois. 

PRI biologists are also testing the effects of wind development on state-threatened bird species to ensure that Incidental Take permit conditions are met.

Biofuels

PRI scientists investigate ways to transform waste into biofuel. 

Algae, for example, can be grown to produce fuel, but current methods are costly. In a project funded by the U.S. Department of Energy, PRI scientists are working to improve algal growth rates by using two types of waste: municipal wastewater and CO₂ captured from power plants. Using these waste products to grow algae could make the algal biofuels cost competitive or even lower than fossil fuels.

Municipal wastewater can be used to feed algae because it contains high nutrient concentrations that must be removed before the water is sanitized and released. Traditional nutrient removal processes involve a series of biological and chemical methods. If the nutrients are used to grow algae, then the costs of removing those nutrients go down. In addition, algae growers do not need to purchase nutrient products to enhance the growth of the algae.

Algae grow and can uptake CO₂ faster than any other photosynthetic crop. Feeding captured CO₂ from power plants into the algal growth tanks can boost growth rates. Power plants could potentially reduce their carbon emissions with this method of using CO₂. 

PRI scientists are also designing and synthesizing innovative catalysts for the efficient conversion of biocrude oil and demonstrating their effectiveness for converting these oils into various useful hydrocarbons and transportation fuels.

Geothermal energy

PRI leads efforts to leverage Illinois’ favorable groundwater conditions to develop reliable, sustainable, cost-effective geothermal power. PRI is a founding member of the Illinois Geothermal Coalition that works to strengthen and advance the implementation and design of geothermal energy systems in the U.S. Midwest.

This includes investigating the feasibility of tapping the geothermal energy resources in the Illinois Basin for heating and cooling of large facilities, such as universities and military bases. PRI scientists played a key role in implementing a geothermal exchange system for the University of Illinois’ newly constructed Campus Instructional Facility, which will reduce the facility’s energy use by 58%.

Hydrogen storage

Long-duration, low-emission energy storage at the utility scale remains a critical challenge in achieving a successful clean energy transition. Hydrogen, a high-energy content fuel, offers a promising solution as it can be produced with low or zero emissions from a variety of feedstocks. Underground hydrogen storage provides an effective option for meeting long-duration energy storage needs, allowing for increased output from low-carbon power generators and balancing energy supply and demand fluctuations. According to the National Renewable Energy Laboratory, the United States will require over 100 million metric tons of hydrogen annually by 2050 to power sectors such as electricity generation, transportation, refining, and ammonia/biofuel production. Meeting this demand will rely heavily on safe and efficient subsurface hydrogen storage. To accelerate progress in this area, the U.S. Geological Survey, national laboratories, state geological surveys — including the Illinois State Geological Survey (ISGS), a division of PRI — and industry partners are advancing research, demonstration projects, and screening evaluations, with a particular focus on the Illinois Basin in the Midwest.

Critical minerals

Mineral resources are essential to the advanced technologies that power national defense, transportation, and the growing renewable energy infrastructure. PRI, through ISGS, plays a leading role in advancing critical mineral research vital for the nation’s sustainable future. The U.S. Geological Survey has identified more than 50 elements and compounds as “critical minerals” and launched the Earth Mapping Resources Initiative (Earth MRI) to expand knowledge of their domestic distribution and concentration.

PRI, in collaboration with national and state partners, conducts extensive geochemical reconnaissance, subsurface mapping, and geophysical surveys across Illinois to locate these valuable resources. Areas of Illinois show significant potential for multiple critical mineral deposits, including rare earth elements, which are primary targets of several ISGS-led projects. PRI is also a key participant in the Carbon Ore, Rare Earth, and Critical Minerals initiative for the Illinois Basin, which aims to unlock critical mineral potential from unconventional sources such as coal and coal byproducts. Through these efforts, PRI is positioning Illinois as a leader in securing the domestic supply of critical minerals essential for the clean energy transition and technological advancement.

Carbon management

Reducing greenhouse gas emissions through effective carbon management is essential for addressing climate change and supporting sustainable energy systems. PRI leads pioneering research and large-scale projects focused on carbon capture, utilization, and storage — also called CCUS — to help Illinois transition to a low-carbon economy. PRI collaborates with industry partners, power plants, and federal agencies to develop and implement advanced carbon capture technologies and safe, long-term storage solutions in Illinois’ ideal geologic formations. PRI’s work not only reduces emissions but also paves the way for commercial deployment of CCUS technologies that strengthen Illinois’ position as a leader in carbon management innovation.

Read about PRI’s extensive work in carbon management.

Carbon capture

PRI collaborates with Illinois power plants to implement advanced technologies that remove carbon from emissions so it can be stored underground or reused in processes that meet environmental and safety compliance at large scales.

With a $15 million grant from the U.S. Department of Energy, PRI and industry partners are working on a front-end engineering design study to retrofit the Prairie State Generating Company in Marissa (St. Clair County) with a system capable of capturing more than 90% of the facility’s carbon emissions. The plan is to incorporate additional carbon offset strategies to achieve net-zero CO₂ emissions.

At City, Water, Light, and Power in Springfield (Sangamon County), PRI is overseeing a large pilot test of the performance, safety, and environmental compliance of a carbon capture technology developed by Linde Gas North America and BASF. Backed by an additional $25 million U.S. Department of Energy grant, PRI also leads a project to design an innovative, next-generation power plant at the utility that uses multiple techniques to both reduce emissions and capture and reuse carbon dioxide.

Two U.S. Department of Energy-supported carbon-capture research projects are ongoing at U. of I.’s Abbott Power Plant. PRI is working with industry partner LInde to test technologies for reducing aerosol particle concentrations in flue gas. This work could help make solvent-based carbon capture technology more economical at commercial scale. The second project is advancing the development of a CO₂ absorption technology that could dramatically improve energy efficiency, lower the equipment cost and footprint, and maintain operational simplicity.

Carbon storage

For almost 20 years, PRI geologists and engineers have been developing methods for the safe capture, storage, and reuse of CO₂ from power plants and industrial operations, helping to reduce greenhouse gas emissions. The geology of Illinois is ideal for safe CO₂ storage and multiple federally funded projects have generated nearly $225 million in investment.

From 2011 to 2014, the Illinois Basin-Decatur Project, a collaboration between PRI, the Archer Daniels Midland Company (ADM), Schlumberger Carbon Services, and other subcontractors, stored approximately 1 million metric tons of CO₂ — all the carbon emissions from ADM’s biofuel plant operations — into the Mt. Simon Sandstone in Decatur, paving the way for commercial use of the sandstone for CO₂ storage. This world-class project gained one of the first EPA Underground Injection Control Class VI permits (for wells used for geologic sequestration of CO₂) and has garnered international interest, with over 700 visitors from 29 countries.

The Illinois Storage Corridor project aims to accelerate commercial deployment of carbon capture, utilization, and storage within the Illinois Storage Corridor, a region with proven geologic storage performance and numerous industrial carbon sources. Supported by a $25 million grant from the U.S. Department of Energy, the project involves characterizing and constructing two carbon storage sites: one near the One Earth Energy ethanol facility in Gibson City (Ford County), and a second at the Prairie State Generating Company in Marissa (St. Clair County). Combined, the sites will have the capacity to store 6.5 million metric tons of CO₂ annually.

With industry and research partners and an $11 million grant from the U.S. Department of Energy, PRI is conducting a Phase 2 commercial-scale initial characterization of a potential CO₂ storage site in Macon County.

Water

Water supply systems

Illinoisans and the state’s economy alike require adequate supplies of water to thrive. However, as the state’s population grows and its industries expand, so too does the strain on its water resources. To ensure sustainable water supplies statewide, decision-makers need information on Illinois’ water availability and quality, current and future water needs, and cost-effective options for increasing water supply capacity and reducing demand. 

PRI scientists at the Illinois State Water Survey and Illinois State Geological Survey play a pivotal role in ensuring future water sustainability, from advanced data collection, mapping, and modeling to active leadership in water supply planning initiatives.

Read about PRI’s efforts in water supply planning and research. 

Wastewater treatment

The cost of wastewater treatment can be a significant burden for municipalities, especially if the infrastructure is aged or inappropriately sized for the community it serves. 

With funding from the Illinois EPA, PRI’s Technical Assistance Program and the U. of I.’s Smart Energy Design Assistance Center have teamed up to help municipalities reduce the cost of wastewater treatment by providing no-cost energy use assessments to publicly-owned wastewater treatment plants. These assessments are designed to help municipalities identify efficiency improvements to their systems and potential cost savings for their communities.

Participating treatment plants have reduced energy use by nearly 4 million kWh, greenhouse gas emissions by nearly 4,000 MTCO2e, and saved nearly $300,000. For every dollar spent by the program, treatment plants saved approximately $2.

Stormwater infrastructure

Effective stormwater management is essential for reducing urban flooding risks and supporting sustainable development. PRI plays a key role in this effort by providing data-driven insights and customized solutions for communities across Illinois. 

PRI scientists developed Bulletin 75, Illinois’ standard for extreme storm precipitation, which guides infrastructure planning by ensuring stormwater systems are designed to handle increasingly frequent severe storms. In collaboration with the Metropolitan Water Reclamation District of Greater Chicago, PRI’s Coordinated Hazard Assessment and Mapping Program developed tailored detention pond release rates for the district’s six watershed management areas. This customized approach, combined with Bulletin 75 data, ensures that stormwater release rates balance flood risk reduction with cost-effective development, leading the district’s board of commissioners to revise its watershed management ordinance.

Transportation

PRI contributes crucial expertise to transportation infrastructure projects throughout Illinois.

Work by PRI scientists enables both the Illinois Department of Transportation and Illinois State Toll Highway Authority to comply with state and federal regulations, including the National Environmental Policy Act, the Clean Water Act, the National Historic Preservation Act, and the Endangered Species Act. PRI’s work also allows these agencies to avoid the delays and cost overruns that could arise if previously unidentified environmental hazards, cultural sites or artifacts, or endangered and threatened species were encountered during construction and maintenance projects.

Aggregate resources

Aggregates such as sand, gravel, and crushed stone are vital to the construction and maintenance of roadways. 

PRI serves as Illinois’ sole objective provider of data on the location and quality of aggregates; data which the aggregate and construction industries rely on to better target their resource exploration efforts. Further, PRI’s aggregate quality data are particularly important for IDOT, which conducts stringent quality tests before using any aggregates in road and bridge construction projects. 

Hazard assessments

PRI conducts Preliminary Environmental Site Assessments to identify natural and man-made hazards that may be present on existing IDOT rights-of-way or on sites proposed for transportation infrastructure development. 

PRI geologists have completed more than 5,000 of these site assessments over the past 30 years, evaluating over 13,000 miles of Illinois roads through highway projects alone. IDOT uses the environmental condition data from these assessments to protect workers and public safety, reduce liability, and minimize delays by operating efficiently and cost-effectively.

PRI also provides statewide data on the location of cover-collapse sinkholes, which pose a serious hazard for the construction of buildings, roads, and other infrastructure. This is of particular importance in the Illinois sinkhole plain — principally within Monroe, Randolph, and St. Clair counties — where sinkholes are prevalent. 

Learn more about PRI’s work on hazards that pose a threat to Illinois’ people and economy.

Cultural resources

Researchers with PRI’s Illinois State Archaeological Survey perform hundreds of archaeological surveys and dozens of excavations annually for IDOT. For over half a century, these activities have facilitated the efficient planning, construction, and enhancement of Illinois’ transportation network in a way that is compliant with federal and state laws. 

Simultaneously, PRI archeologists help preserve the state’s rich cultural heritage and gather new information that has greatly enhanced our understanding of American archaeology. 

For example, the construction of the Stan Musial Veterans’ Memorial Bridge required what was then the largest archaeological excavation in the nation to mitigate adverse impacts on the prehistoric East St. Louis Mound Complex. Excavation of 34 acres identified hundreds of homes and public buildings and generated insights about what was once North America’s largest urban center.

Read more about PRI transportation archaeology work.

Threatened & endangered species

IDOT and Illinois Tollway rely on PRI biologists to determine whether state or federally listed plants and animals occur along their transportation routes.

Though many listed plants and animals have county- or township-level distribution data available, IDOT and Illinois Tollway require exact locations of where species are found to effectively plan their construction and maintenance projects.

Staff with PRI’s Biological Survey and Assessment Program and Urban Biotic Assessment Program collect detailed occurrence information for listed species in transportation corridors for IDOT and Illinois Tollway, respectively. These data are used not only to minimize the impact of transportation agency projects on imperiled species but also to inform conservation and recovery measures by partnering agencies and provide support for species listing and delisting decisions.

Read more about threatened and endangered species research at PRI’s Illinois Natural History Survey.

Wetland mitigation

Wetlands play a critical role in maintaining ecosystem health, supporting biodiversity, and managing water resources. PRI supports wetland conservation by evaluating hydrology and related functions for compensatory mitigation and assessing the effectiveness of roadway runoff treatments — work that benefits both IDOT and Illinois Tollway. Over more than 30 years, PRI scientists have conducted approximately 2,600 wetland determinations, 100 monitoring projects, and 100 mitigation site assessments, resulting in delineations of more than 20,000 wetlands covering 7,200 acres across all Illinois counties. PRI geologists monitor hydrology at 12 IDOT mitigation sites, providing data that support the certification and management of wetland credits to offset construction-related losses. Additionally, PRI biologists have monitored four Illinois Tollway mitigation sites, tracking wetland species abundance before and after restoration to guide future wetland restoration efforts and evaluate long-term restoration success.

Water quality and environmental impact

For decades, PRI scientists have played a vital role in safeguarding Illinois’ ecosystems by evaluating wetlands, monitoring water quality, and surveying plant and animal species, including those that are threatened or endangered, and impacted by IDOT and Illinois Tollway projects. The data generated through these efforts informs critical decision-making, enabling agencies to plan and assess mitigation and restoration projects, certify wetland credits, measure the effectiveness of roadway runoff treatments, and develop robust conservation and management strategies.

PRI’s Wetland Science Program works closely with IDOT to identify, protect, maintain, and restore wetlands across the state. This program conducts comprehensive wetland surveys and delineations oversees rehabilitation, restoration, and creation projects, and advances research in wetland ecology, plant science, and soil health.

The Wetlands Geology Section further supports IDOT through the Statewide Hydrologic Survey Program, gathering critical data to assess hydrologic, geologic, and water quality conditions in wetlands. These data are instrumental in screening potential restoration sites, tracking restoration progress, and evaluating water quality in sensitive habitats linked to specific geologic settings.

Collaborative research between the Wetlands Geology Section and the Wetland Science Program has deepened the understanding of wetland restoration processes. Their work has shed light on key issues such as planted tree mortality from flooding, sediment storage dynamics in floodplain wetlands, and the balance among wetland functions at IDOT restoration sites — insights that not only support regulatory compliance but also enhance long-term ecosystem resilience in Illinois.

Runoff monitoring

Through the Tollway Runoff Monitoring Program, PRI geologists support Illinois Tollway by collecting and analyzing data to assess the environmental impacts of roadway runoff. This research evaluates the effectiveness of best management practices, such as bioswales, in mitigating the effects of construction and operations on wetlands and streams within the Chicago Area Waterways System. The findings help Illinois Tollway comply with Clean Water Act regulations and achieve strategic goals outlined in its stormwater management program.

As part of this collaboration, PRI experts establish and maintain comprehensive water quality monitoring networks, sample surface, and groundwater, and analyze environmental data to:

• Assess the performance of best management practices in treating road runoff contaminants.
• Detect trends in runoff pollutants compared to established water quality standards.
• Evaluate the impact of roadway deicing activities on water quality.
• Provide critical data for mitigating impacts on sensitive habitats.
• Examine the effects of roadway construction activities on waterways.

This partnership ensures that infrastructure development proceeds in a manner that safeguards Illinois’ vital water resources.