The Labour-Green proposal to cut Kiwi householders' power prices through radical market reform has been given the thumbs-up by consumer groups, but energy sector commentators are divided on the plan.

Labour and Greens want Crown-owned single buyer to set electricity prices for generators.

The Government says Labour and the Greens are trying to sink the Mighty River Power share float with a hastily drafted threat to impose Soviet-style intervention on the electricity market.

Labour and the Greens are promising a major intervention in the retail power system in a bid to lower residential power prices if they win next year's election.

The Government says it won't be able to say how many people have applied to buy shares in Mighty River Power until after the offer period has closed.

A Property For Industry investor is waiting for more information on a proposal to almost double the size of the $382.2 million NZX-listed business.

Potential Mighty River Power shareholders have had plenty to digest and dissect since the prospectus for the part-sale of the state-owned enterprise was released this month.

Brokers and analysts are predicting a strong take-up of Mighty River Power shares as the offer opens to the public today.

Crucial face-to-face talks between the owners of the Tiwai Point aluminium smelter and Meridian Energy resume in Wellington today, and could take the rest of the week.

Market players are divided over the attractiveness of Mighty River Power's bonus scheme and say it's hard to know if it will encourage investors to keep hold of their shares.

A startling aspect of the 73 per cent pay rise for directors of Mighty River Power is that John Key says it is "realistic" and "sensible" to do it now, writes Judy McGregor, before the company is listed on the sharemarket next month.

The Government has set a price range of $2.35 to $2.80 per share for the partial privatisation of Mighty River Power.

Mighty River Power directors are to get a 73 per cent pay rise, it has been confirmed ahead of the release of offer documents for the company's partial float tomorrow.

When people like the PM talk of an orderly transition to a post-smelter environment, they are talking about the scrapping of generating capacity, writes Brian Fallow.

The Government and its flagship asset sale programme will not be held hostage by Rio Tinto over the mineral giant's threat to close the Tiwai Point aluminium smelter, Prime Minister John Key said yesterday.

Rio Tinto isn't going to get a deal out of the Government and is likely to shut down the Tiwai Pt aluminium smelter potentially at the cost of thousands of jobs over the next five years.

Negotiating with Hollywood moguls must now feel like a bit of a doddle for John Key compared to mixing it with the cold-blooded, razor-wielding gang of cost accountants from Rio Tinto.

The Government has opened discussions with Tiwai Point aluminium smelter's ultimate owners Rio Tinto in a bid to broker a deal after talks between the smelter and Meridian Energy reportedly broke down.

Tiwai Pt aluminium smelter's owners have contradicted a report from Meridian, saying they think a power deal can be agreed on.

Former Solid Energy chief executive Don Elder will pocket more than $250,000 from the indebted state-owned miner while he remains on its payroll for another four months.

Potential investors in Mighty River Power, Genesis Energy and Meridian will be exposed to the financial impacts caused by any new charges linked to water or geothermal use and land resumption.

I can't get excited about the Mighty River share float either as an investor or as an economist, writes Peter Lyons. NZers are being given a chance to buy shares in businesses that all of us already own.

Almost one in five New Zealanders who oppose the partial sale of Mighty River Power intend buying shares in the company anyway.

Labour and its leader David Shearer have had a boost in support in the latest Herald-DigiPoll survey - but it appears to have come at the expense of its potential coalition allies.

More than 400,000 people have pre-registered their interest in buying Mighty River Power shares before the process closes at 5pm on Friday.

Shares in Mighty River Power are likely to cost between $2.36 and $2.75, according to estimates based on a raft of pre-marketing research reports released by major broking firms.