GEORGETOWN - Santee Cooper plans Monday to announce a "major economic development" coming to Georgetown County.

The state-owned utility is in the midst of asking customers for their input in how Santee Cooper should be operated and governed in the future and has sandwiched the economic development announcement in between public meetings to gather that feedback.

The first was held Thursday in Conway, and another is scheduled Monday evening in Litchfield Beach.

The effort comes a few months after Gov. Mark Sanford fired Santee Cooper's board chairman and filed a packet of bills in the General Assembly changing his powers over the utility, moves that drew some criticism and concern about the state's plans for the utility.

Sanford is listed, along with Santee Cooper and Georgetown County officials, as issuing an invitation to the "major economic development" announcement, which will be held Monday morning at the utility's Winyah Generating Station. Sanford's seal appears on the invitation, but his office said Wednesday and Thursday that he was not scheduled to attend Monday.

Santee Cooper's board is holding a special meeting today.

Details were not released Thursday on the type of economic development to be announced.

Economic development efforts in Georgetown County in recent years have attempted to shore up an economy that relied heavily on the Georgetown steel mill for jobs and tax revenues.

The plant was purchased by International Steel Group and restarted production as ISG Georgetown July 31, putting nearly 300 workers back on the payroll by the end of 2004.

The unemployment level in Georgetown County, which has been as high as 15 percent, was 11.9 percent in February, a slight dip from the 12.2 percent unemployment rate in January.

The development to be announced will boost the county's economy and encourage growth in other sectors, economic experts said.

Official invitations were sent earlier this week for the announcement.

The county has been struggling with high unemployment levels for the past several years with plant closures at Eagle Electric, Fee Tees and Georgetown Steel.

At least 400 people were laid off from Georgetown Steel before the plant reopened under new ownership in June.

South Carolina also is lagging behind the rest of the country in the economic recovery.

South Carolina's unemployment rate rose to 7.1 percent in February, the State Employment Security Commission said.

The state's jobless rate was 7 percent in January.

The national rate jumped from 5.2 percent in January to 5.4 percent in February.

"Any new growth will boost the economy," said Brenda England, director of the Georgetown Office of the S.C. Employment Security Commission.