New Limited Chief Executive Announced

For release at : 9am Tuesday 4 October 2011

The Board of Meridian Energy is pleased to announce the appointment of Mark Binns as the company’s new Chief Executive.

Mark is currently the Chief Executive of the Infrastructure Division of Fletcher Building Limited, that company’s largest division. He has been with Fletcher Building and its predecessor, Fletcher Challenge Limited, for 22 years. During this period he was responsible for operations in Australia, Asia, South America, USA and the South Pacific, as well as New Zealand. He has been integrally involved in some of New Zealand’s largest infrastructure projects, including Waterview, Eden Park, SKYCITY, Te Papa and the Manapouri tunnel. By training Mark is a qualified lawyer and was previously a partner of Simpson Grierson.

Chris Moller, Chairman of Meridian, said “The Board of Meridian is delighted to have secured the services of such a hugely experienced and talented executive as Mark. He has an impressive track record of delivering results and we have no doubt that Mark is the best person to lead the company at this exciting time.”

Mark will be based in Wellington and the date on which he will take up his new position will be announced as soon as it is finalised.

Chris Moller also thanked outgoing Chief Executive, Tim Lusk, for his contribution, both as a director and executive, of the company and for the significant flexibility that he has provided to the Board during the CEO recruitment process.

For more information contact: Clair Shaw External Communications Meridian Energy 021 370 677

About Meridian Energy

Meridian is New Zealand’s largest electricity generator and currently owns and operates nine hydro stations and three wind farms within New Zealand, and one wind farm in Australia:

• and eight hydro stations on the Waitaki River in the South Island • near Palmerston North

• White Hill wind farm in Southland

• West Wind farm in Wellington

• Mt Millar wind farm, Eyre Peninsula, South Australia

• CalRENEW 1 solar farm in Mendota, California

Internationally, Meridian has operations in Sydney Australia and San Francisco California. Meridian is also in a joint venture with Australian energy company AGL to build what will be the southern hemisphere's biggest wind farm in southwest Victoria The 420MW Macarthur wind farm is due for completion in 2013.

Meridian retails electricity to around 188,000 customers throughout New Zealand, which includes households, farms and businesses. It also provides electricity to New Zealand’s single largest electricity user, the Rio Tinto Alcan New Zealand Limited aluminium smelter in Bluff.

Meridian invests strongly in renewable energy development both in New Zealand and offshore and has almost completed construction on the , in Hamilton, New Zealand.