After nearly nine weeks of discussions, China Light & Power and the Government appear to be approaching a decision on deferral of the second half of the company's Black Point power plant, industry sources say.
It is now five months since the Government first requested that CLP delay completing units five to eight of the $24 billion plant to help bring down the company's high level of unused capacity.
Detailed discussions between the two sides began after CLP gave officials its analysis of the costs of deferral last February. Both sides pledged in meetings with legislators to seek an early agreement - however the timetable has a habit of sliding.
The Government appears to have accepted that units five and six of the plant cannot be delayed because of their advanced state of manufacture and installation.
Equally, officials seem adamant that CLP should sort out its own oversupply problems, implying they want to see units seven and eight delayed.
Commentators believe that part of the reason it is taking so long for an agreement on the final two units stems from conflicting pressures on CLP.