August 9, 2000, Secretary of Energy Bill Richardson joined Senator Harry Reid (D-NV) in Las Vegas to announce the creation of 21 partnerships between the Department of Energy (DOE) and private industry to support the development and use of geothermal energy throughout the western United States. The projects will expand production and use of energy generated from the earth’s heat to bring electricity and geothermal heat to millions of homes and businesses in California, New Mexico, Nevada and Utah. DOE and industry will share funding the projects over a three-to- five year period