Cooper Power Systems is an example of how American ingenuity can help make the planet more energy efficient and environmentally friendly. The soy-based coolant the company developed a decade ago for electric power transformers is the result of some very forward-thinking engineers.

Patrick McShane was one of those engineers. After petroleum replaced polychlorinated biphenyls (pcbs) as a coolant a couple of decades ago, McShane figured it wouldn't be long before manufacturers would need to find an even more environmentally friendly coolant. The environmental movement was gaining a lot of steam in the late 1980s.

So, McShane began experimenting with food-grade oils. He tested two dozen oils including corn, palm, and soybean oil. McShane describes the discovery that soybean oil was more stable and performed even better than petroleum as an "ah ha" moment for Cooper Power Systems.

While it could take years to replace all of the petroleum-filled transformers around the world, analysts think eventually soy coolants will dominate the industry. If that sounds like a drop in the bucket, consider this: Chicago-based Commonwealth Edison is just beginning to replace its petroleum-filled transformers with the soy-filled kind. It has 500,000 in Northern Illinois alone. The company thinks it will eventually replace all transformers with the soy kind.

Cooper Power Systems and ComEd are proving we can become greener citizens. But, it may require small steps to get us there.