The solar energy industry is booming in the US. And the state of Illinois has seen great changes after the Future Energy Jobs Act went into effect last year. Dan Williams reports from Chicago.

Farmland across Illinois looks set for a makeover. That's because competing for space amongst the corn and soybeans will be solar panels. Up until now, solar energy has struggled to make an impact in the US state with a capacity of just 75 megawatts. But its predicted that capacity could jump to 2,800 megawatts in the next five years. It comes after the Future Energy Jobs Act was passed last year that set a target for Illinois to generate 25 percent of energy requirements from renewable sources by 2025.

BRIAN HAUG, ASSOCIATION BOARD PRESIDENT ILLINOIS SOLAR ENERGY "The number of installations are going to be astronomical. Both on the commercial side and on the residential side. I think I have run the numbers and it is seven hundred times growth compared to what we have currently installed in the state. The numbers are mindboggling."

Currently Illinois is ranked 33rd in the US in terms of solar capacity. But with the change in focus, it is now projected to be a top ten solar producer by 2023. Kankakee County, situated 50 miles south of Chicago, is in line to enjoy the surge in solar interest thanks to the relatively cheap farmland.

ANDY WHEELER, CHAIRMAN KANKAKEE COUNTY BOARD "We became ground zero for all this interest in solar. We said we have got to get our act together in how we can deal with this as we are already getting people knocking on our door. And when I say people, it wasn't one or two but 30, 40 or 50 different companies talking to us."

Larry Burke is a landowner in the county. He believes the regions farmers will jump at the opportunity.

LARRY BURKE KANKAKEE LANDOWNER "I've talked to quite a few of them that are thinking about it seriously. And sure, I'm excited about it. I think it's the best thing that we've had in a long time."

DAN WILLIAMS CHICAGO "All across Illinois, the solar industry appears set for rapid growth in the coming years. A host of solar companies have already set up a presence here. And some here hope neighboring states will now follow Illinois' new direction."

Brad Klein is a senior attorney with the Environmental Law and Policy Centre in Chicago. He believes the competition between states will help further drive the solar market.

BRAD KLEIN ENVIRONMENTAL LAW & POLICY CENTER "This is just the beginning of the game. It is a really exciting time. We expect to see a lot of new investment in Illinois. The sky is the limit. And I think there are going to be a lot of other states in the Midwest that are going to see what Illinois and Minnesota are doing and they are going to say hey, we want those jobs to, we want those benefits for our citizens."

Illinois may well have been sluggish to embrace solar energy. But the state now looks set to become a renewable energy leader. Dan Williams, CGTN, Chicago.