The New Zealand government posted a smaller operating deficit than forecast in the 11 months ended May 31.

Environmental columnist Sam Judd checks out a new way for farmers to make money that will actually benefit the environment.

New technology allows households to track almost every detail of their electricity use.

The Meridian Energy partial privatisation is so large it may have to be split in two, Prime Minister John Key says.

The 113,000 so called "mum and dad" investors who bought Mighty River shares included companies, trusts and investment institutions, Treasury has confirmed.

Not much time has passed since the Government's Budget announcement that shares in Meridian Energy would be the next to be sold.

The Government will have to bump up the sweeteners to get enough mum and dad investors to buy into Meridian Energy, an analyst says.

The Government will waste no time selling down Meridian Energy with Treasury officials expected to meet investment bankers on Monday.

Meridian Energy, New Zealand's biggest and most profitable power company, will be partially privatised later this year, Finance Minister Bill English confirmed in yesterday's Budget.

Senior executives of newly listed, state-controlled Mighty River Power are in line for shares in lieu of cash bonuses worth $1.2 million for the year to June 30.

Editorial: Naturally enough, the Government was keen to put the entire blame for what happened on "politicking" by Labour and the Greens.

If Meridian Energy had already floated, it's a fair bet that its share price would have dropped after the Opposition unveiled its electricity policy a week ago.

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

Prospects of keeping the Tiwai Pt aluminium smelter open in the long-term are grim, with Meridian Energy saying it is still in the dark.

Contact's share price dropped this morning, partly in response to uncertainty over the future of the Tiwai Point aluminium smelter.

Prime Minister John Key says the government has "put its best foot forward" and will offer Rio Tinto no more than the short-term subsidy offered last week.

Rio Tinto is doubtless more than happy that the Government has stepped in to try to broker a deal over the electricity supply contract for the Tiwai Pt aluminium smelter.

The Tiwai Pt power price stoush will probably have a small negative effect on the price of Mighty River - but it's not a showstopper say sharemarket analysts.

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.