Wellington, Feb 24 NZPA - Contact Energy reported a 31 percent fall in half-year underlying earnings after tax to $79.9 million, as the company was battered by winter drought, summer deluge, and transmission constraints.

Auckland, Feb 18 NZPA - Watching data on a short-term basis is a better path to success in the stock market than longer-term analysis, according to award-winning New Zealand university research.

Wellington, Feb 9 NZPA - Several factors will harm the credit quality of New Zealand's power and utility sector this year, Fitch Ratings says.

Wellington, Jan 29 NZPA - State-owned energy company Solid Energy has confirmed it will spend $100 million in a new coal processing plant at its Stockton mine but says it will also cut coal production at the mine by 20 percent from July this year.

Wellington, Jan 21 NZPA - The Electricity Commission today released recommendations on how the electricity system can be improved to cope with dry winters -- as South Island hydro lakes spill water from their 10-year high levels.

Wellington, Jan 21 NZPA - Rio Tinto says it has no plans to restart the nearly 30 percent aluminium smelting capacity shut down at Tiwai Point for the past two months, but it is still looking at the options available.

Wellington, Dec 30 NZPA - The New Zealand sharemarket edged lower in early trade after United States stocks skidded as the unravelling of a big deal overshadowed gains in the energy sector.

Wellington, Dec 18 NZPA - The Government has welcomed a decision to allocate more aquaculture space in the Nelson area, but says law changes are needed to speed up the decision-making process.

Wellington, Dec 17 NZPA - The Government has declined the proposed purchase of a New Zealand steel mining company by a Hong Kong business conglomerate.

Wellington, Dec 16 NZPA - Incandescent light bulbs are safe. Energy and Resources Minister Gerry Brownlee confirmed in Parliament today he was not going ahead with the previous government's decision to phase them out.