Power supplier Meridian to consider curtailing smelter demand if situation worsens. Worried about low lake levels and a lack of rain, Tiwai Point aluminium smelter’s eyes are peeled for any further plunge in hydro storage as its electricity supplier contemplates an unprecedented move in mandating the smelter cut consumption. The angst over New Zealand’s primary source of baseload generation comes as electricity spot prices remain elevated on a squeezed supply of natural gas and lakes reaching low levels not seen this time of year for more than a quarter of a century. At the same time, New Zealand Aluminium Smelters (NZAS), the Rio Tinto-controlled operator of the Tiwai smelter, is enjoying a