Solar power in North Carolina has been increasing rapidly, from less than 1 MW (megawatts) in 2007 to 6,152 MW in 2019, and has the second-largest installed PV capacity of all U.S. states. SunEdison built a 17.2-megawatt solar farm in Davidson County. A 2018 Smithsonian Magazine article described North Carolina as likely being the national leader in the "solar shepherd phenomenon" – combining sheep farming with solar power plants to reduce the high costs of grass trimming. Source: NREL