The Swine Farm Methane Capture Pilot Program was established by legislation passed by the NC General Assembly in July 2007 and more than 200 farms already have registered for the program. A report in US university journal The Daily Tar Heel, says that 50 farms will be chosen to participate. "I believe that swine producers are looking for better ways to manage waste while maintaining the profitability of their farm," said Vernon Cox, technical services section chief for the NC Division of Soil and Water Conservation.

State regulations mandate that three percent of the energy sold by power companies must come from renewable sources, said Andy Thompson, spokesman for Duke Energy. He says that this is part of the reason why power companies are taking a keen interest in biomass sources like hog waste.