Conformational energies for the butyl group of 1-butyl-3-methylimidazolium (bmim) were calculated by high-level ab initio methods. Estimated relative energies for the TT, GT and G'T rotamers of an isolated bmim cation at the CCSD(T)/cc-pVTZ level are 0.0 -0.02 and -0.50 kcal/mol, respectively. The close contact of a Cl anion to the C-2-H of imidazolium considerably increases the relative stability of the GT rotamer. Estimated relative energies for the three rotamers of the [bmim]Cl complex, in which the Cl anion exists close to the C-2-H, are 0.0, -1.61 and -0.25 kcal/mol, respectively. The GT rotamer is favored by the strong attractive electrostatic interaction between the bmim cation and Cl anion. The C-2-H group in the GT rotamer has a larger positive charge Compared with those in the TT and G'T rotamers. The contact of a Br anion to the C-2-H also stabilizes the GT rotamer. The effects of the Cl anion close to the C-4-H and C-5-H are small. The anion effects suggest that the GT rotamer is the most stable in ionic liquids. The positive charge on imidazolium ring does not largely change the conformational energies. Estimated relative energies for the three rotamers of N-butylimidazole (0.0, -0.29 and -0.75 kcal/mol, respectively) are not largely different from those for isolated bmim. Calculated MP2/cc-pVTZ level torsional potential for the C-im-N-im-C-C bond has a minimum when the torsional angle is close to 90 degrees. Coplanar conformation is not a stable structure. Calculated torsional barrier height between the two nonplanar minima is less than 1 kcal/mol.