The Department of Energy is planning to announce an initiative today that seeks to spur the development of the geothermal energy industry, a highly productive but still evolving source of renewable energy. Energy Secretary Bill Richardson will present his GeoPowering the West project and set out ambitious goals that call for geothermal energy to provide as much as 10 % of the West's electricity by 2020, supply the electric power or heating needs of 7 million homes by 2010 and double the number of states with geothermal power facilities to eight by 2006.