Currituck County is among several counties in northeast North Carolina being considered for a biofuel manufacturing plant.

Independent Energy, a start-up biofuel company from Raleigh, recently contacted the Currituck County planning department to inquire about the area, said Peter Bishop, the county's economic development director.

The company did not specify an exact location of interest, and there is no information on how large the factory would be, Bishop said.

Independent Energy officials were unavailable for comment.

According to Ray White, vice-president of marketing for North Carolina's Northeast Commission, the region is being targeted as an attractive area for biofuel companies, manufacturing alternative energy and fuel sources.

With rising gas prices, biotechnology, such as biodiesel, is becoming a popular alternative to petroleum. Biofuels are renewable energy sources made from vegetable oils and cooking grease, but most often produced from soybean oil.

A strategic marketing plan is in the works to attract biotechnology to the area, White said.

"We're working with several companies throughout the northeast in 16 counties," White said. "Some are geared toward ethanol production and others toward biodiesel."

A recent Research Triangle Institute study from the University of North Carolina also indicated the northeastern region is an excellent location for biotechnology.

"We're beginning to see a lot of biofuel companies looking in the region and I think we'll see a lot more because they want to be near the fuel source," said Vann Rogerson, president and chief executive officer of North Carolina's Northeast Commission. "(Biofuels) are one of our marketing clusters that we will pursue heavily in the future,"

Companies find the area appealing for a variety of reasons, White said, citing proximity to rail and waterways.

Currituck's vast rail connection provides an inexpensive method of transporting goods to and from the region, and shipping overseas is easier because the factories would be located near waterways.

Most importantly, biofuel factories would be able to directly access corn and soybeans from the many farming areas in the region, which would then be transformed into alternative energy sources.

In addition to biotechnology promoting alternative energy sources and general environment-friendly efforts in the region, the factories would help generate jobs for the community.

"We're very excited about the possibilities," White said.

Optimistic about the possibility of biotechnology in Currituck, Bishop is adamant about the county contracting with the right company, one that will fall in line with their short and long-terms goals for development.

"Start-up firms can make me nervous," Bishop said. "I wouldn't hold them in the same esteem as GE."