Duke Energy has been sitting on the sidelines watching state regulators.

As the SC Public Service Commission has been in a generous mood the last decade, maybe it’s time Duke asked for higher rates, too.

But Duke may have waited too long. The PSC’s generosity to SC Electric & Gas may have ended. Its nuclear fiasco is expected to make regulators and state lawmakers question any rate hike requests.

Duke last week filed a request with the PSC to raise rates June 1, 2019 by:

• 12.1% for upstate residential ratepayers.

• 8.3% for commercial and industrial ratepayers.

Duke said it serves about 591,000 upstate ratepayers and needs to increase revenues by about $168 million.

Residential ratepayers using 1,000 kilowatt-hours of electricity monthly would pay $129.43 a month, an increase of about $15.57, said Duke Energy Carolinas spokesman Ryan Mosier.

- Jerry Bellune