Ellington

COLUMBUS, Miss. (AP) — Three Mississippi universities will share in a $725,000 Department of Energy grant to develop programs to reduce energy consumption 20 percent by 2020.

The money will go to Mississippi University for Women, University of Mississippi and Mississippi State University.

The Tennessee Valley Authority announced Wednesday it will add $150,000 to the program over three years.

State officials say energy-saving ideas developed at the three schools will be passed Mississippi's six other universities.

Energy-saving ideas then will be passed on to other state agencies.

The Department of Energy is spending $7.9 million to help 13 states cut energy costs.

The Mississippi grant was the largest of the 13 awards.