The Midwest of the United States is showing potential for helping the country become less dependent on foreign sources of energy such as oil, and improving the condition of the environment. The new “cash crops” such as corn and soy beans, are sources of ethanol, which is an eco-friendly additive to gasoline; and biodiesel, which is a clean fuel used to run trucks and buses. The corn is being transformed into these biofuels using great wind turbines at giant industrial plants.
Analysts who support development of biofuel technology claim that if more energy is purchased from the Midwest instead of the Middle East, energy prices will stabilize and oil imports will be reduced. They estimate that over the long haul wind power could grow from a mere 1% of the U.S. power supply of today to more than 20%. They also predict that ethanol and biodiesel fuels could eventually rise to 20% of transportation fuels from only 4% today.