Mid-Carolina Electric Cooperative is raising electric rates 4.17% this month.

Lacy Ridgell of MCEC confirmed the Aug. 1 hike.

MCEC President Bob Pauling told co-op members at their annual meeting in July that an independent study of operating costs recommended the hike to keep the cooperative fiscally sound.

Pauling blamed $6 million in higher property taxes over the last 4 years, new technology and security expenses, higher wholesale power costs from Santee Cooper and other generators and other rising costs.

Taxpayer-owned Santee Cooper is $8 billion in debt, half of it from a failed $9 billion nuclear power project with SC Electric & Gas.

Home and farm rates will rise from 90 to 95 cents a day or from 4.7 to 5.14 cents a kilowatt hour.

Small commercial rates will rise $1.20 to $1.40 a day or from 5.7 to 5.8 cents a kilowatt hour.

Outdoor security light rates will increase 4%.

Mid-Carolina rates have risen nothing like the $2 billion in higher rates the Public Service Commission approved for SC Electric & Gas ratepayers due to the nuclear reactor project fiasco.