North Carolina is fast becoming a hotbed for renewable energy. Duke Energy Renewables' solar-power project on a 37-acre field in Hertford County will be one of the state's biggest renewable energy projects when it will become operational sometime next month.

The Murfreesboro Solar Project on Hertford County field will feature as many as 20,000 solar panels that will convert sunlight into electricity. This project will be capable of catering to the power needs of a small town.

The 6.4-megawatt project will have a capital investment of around $25 million.

Separately, a Charlotte firm is planning to erect another solar farm on a 100-acre field in Perquimans County, around 40 miles from Hertford County. This renewable energy project will feature around 83,000 solar panels, and would be the largest project in North Carolina.

North Carolina has plenty of open land, along with a sunny, breezy coastal climate, which makes it one of the most appropriate spot for erecting renewable energy projects.

Speaking on the topic, North Carolina's Northeast Commission's president Vann Rogerson said, "Alternative energy is one of our main economic niches now. The big players know where northeastern North Carolina is, now."

Apart from these two solar farms, at least three big wind-power projects are under development in North Carolina.