The US Government has unveiled plans for geothermal energy to provide ten percent of the electricity needs of the western US by 2020. The US Department of Energy (DoE) is to award $4.8 million in grants to support the development of geothermal energy projects in six western states including Nevada, California, Texas, Utah, Idaho and North Dakota. The funding will be used to provide technical assistance to support the design and testing of geothermal technology.