When most people think of ‘energy’, they think of electricity. But getting electricity into homes and businesses is just the final step of a long, intricate supply chain involving natural gas, renewables, transmission, and more.

It is a system that powers every part of modern life, and one I have had the privilege of helping to shape. My energy journey began during national service, when EMA awarded me a scholarship to study economics at the University of Warwick. I later completed a master’s in environmental policy and regulation at the London School of Economics, also supported by EMA.

I have always been passionate about using policy to create meaningful change, and working at EMA has allowed me to do exactly that. 

Singapore’s energy needs are increasing and the market must be able to support the power sector in growing sustainably. While textbook models focus on long-term balance, bumps along the way are inevitable.

This was the problem facing EMA when I joined in 2017 as an analyst in the Market Development & Surveillance department. An ongoing mismatch in demand and supply was causing financial stress on power generators. To address this, we introduced policies such as grants for improving plant efficiency, and incentives for improving plant reliability and capability development.

These policies helped us balance reliability and affordability for consumers with keeping the sector worthwhile for operators and investors in the long-term. I learned how complex energy systems can be, and also how smart policies can create outcomes where everyone wins. 

As I entered my next role in EMA’s Strategic Procurement department, COVID-19, the Russia-Ukraine conflict, and a host of other factors were creating a global energy crisis.

Natural gas prices skyrocketed because supply was low and demand was high. Singapore’s dependence on natural gas imports exposes us to the effects of global shocks. We introduced decisive measures to stabilise the market, such as establishing the Standby LNG Facility to mitigate gas supply disruptions. This ensured that power generation companies had a reliable supply and helped protect Singapore's energy security.

Throughout the crisis we took lessons learned and laid plans to future-proof Singapore’s energy security, as it navigates the energy transition. My team continues to procure backup assets that will keep Singapore’s energy system ever-steady, proactively tackling imbalances as our energy mix becomes more diverse.

When I first joined EMA, I thought I was signing up to learn more about the energy sector. What I did not expect was just how many lives our work touches. Our policies not only impact households, they ensure stable prices that keep Singapore competitive as a business hub too. Essential services like telecommunications and transportation all rely on reliable power supply.

That motivates me to keep learning and improving at what I do. EMA gives me many opportunities to learn through working alongside colleagues in different departments, other agencies like the International Energy Agency (IEA), and people all along the energy supply chain. We are even encouraged to develop knowledge beyond our roles, for example taking courses in project financing. Not because it is immediately necessary for work, but because it helps us understand how stakeholders in the sector think.

After all my years at EMA, there are still new things to learn because the sector is changing all the time. To anyone curious about a career in energy, I always say: there’s room for everyone. Whether you are an engineer, policy thinker, or systems modeller, there is space for you to make a difference.