The University of South Carolina at Sumter and Central Carolina Technical College have been awarded federal economic stimulus funds by the South Carolina Budget and Control Board’s State Energy Office to make energy efficiency improvements.

USC Sumter received $89,212 to install energy efficient heating and air conditioning equipment in the Anderson Library, the single largest energy consumer on the university’s campus. These upgrades will help USC Sumter save more than $14,000 annually in energy costs.

Central Carolina Technical College received $100,206 to install energy efficient lighting fixtures, saving the college more than $24,000 annually.

“Both of these colleges will benefit from installing energy efficient appliances and lighting fixtures that will reduce their energy cost burden over the lifetime of the equipment while using less energy,” said Ashlie Lancaster of the Energy Office said.

The state’s two- and four-year colleges are receiving a total of $12.2 million, and state agencies are getting $7.4 million for energy efficiency improvements. The state’s 85 school districts are sharing $20.3 million in grants and loans for energy efficiency.