Solid Energy creditors yesterday voted to retain the company's existing administrators and not to set up a creditors' committee.

The US crude benchmark finishing below $US40 a barrel for the first time in six years on China's weakening economy.

The company will pay an 8 cents per share final dividend on October 6, an increase from last year's 6.6 cents.

Meridian Energy shares closed up almost 3 per cent yesterday after the company delivered better-than-expected earnings and foreshadowed a long-term return of capital to shareholders.

Our biggest power generator, Meridian Energy, says power prices are likely to stay flat in the coming year.

Contact Energy chief executive Dennis Barnes says the firm now has the chance to steer its own course.

It's been a tough year for Contact Energy, with profits falling 43 per cent. But CEO Dennis Barnes says improvements are expected across all parts of the business next year.

Two major factors - falling international coal prices and a $320 million mountain of debt - proved the undoing of state-owned coal company Solid Energy.

Solid Energy acting chairman Andy Coupe admitted it was "unlikely" that any sale, or sales, would cover its outstanding debt.

Genesis Energy announced its last two coal-burning electricity generators at Huntly Power Station will be shut down.

Origin Energy will book a A$270m impairment from selling out of Contact Energy.

Contact Energy will have more New Zealand shareholders on its register after Australia's Origin Energy sold its controlling stake for $1.8 billion.

Australia's Origin Energy has sold is Contact Energy shares to underwriters Macquarie Capital for $1.8 billion, ending months of speculation.

Mr Key said Solid Energy had $300 million of outstanding debt and was in a "precarious position".

A revised contract between Meridian Energy and the owners of the Tiwai Pt aluminium smelter extends the smelter's operating life for at least another year from 2017.

Tiwai Point smelter looks set to stay open after the announcement of a new power deal with Meridian Energy.

The world's big energy groups have shelved US$200 billion ($298 billion) of spending on new projects in an urgent round of cost-cutting to protect dividends as the oil price slumps for a second time this year.

Meridian Energy has joined with charity KidsCan to raise awareness of child poverty in NZ and help to provide food, clothing and basic healthcare.

Speculation is building that a block sale of ASX-listed Origin Energy's 53pc stake in New Zealand's Contact Energy may be imminent.

Australia's largest integrated off-the-grid solar power system will be up and running in 2016 at a copper mine in remote Western Australia.

Government spends up to 20 times more money on wooing oil and gas companies to New Zealand than it does on promoting renewable energy, newly released figures show.

The New Zealand Middle East Business Council says they are monitoring "the potential of opening up of trade with Iran".

While the world is distracted by the Greek saga and China something really important is going on: Iran and oil.

BP New Zealand generated its smallest earnings in more than a decade due to falling oil prices.

The Commerce Commission has indicated a timeframe on when it expects to make a decision the acquisition.

The NZ-founded carbon recycling company is shifting into commercialisation from its previous development phase.

Rising power bills are driving down satisfaction with big energy retailers, a Consumer New Zealand survey has found.