Over the years, Singapore’s energy system has quietly powered the nation’s progress – from fuelling the early days of a young city-state to enabling the vibrant, modern city we live in today.

As the Energy Market Authority of Singapore (EMA) marks its 25th anniversary this year, we reflect on the role that EMA has played in strengthening and transforming our energy landscape over the past quarter century.

Before independence, Singapore bustled as a British trading port by day. But when night fell, much of the city-state was covered in darkness as electricity was limited to the urban areas. It was a luxury enjoyed mostly by affluent households.

That began to change in 1906 with the opening of Singapore’s first electrical power station – Mackenzie Road Power Station. With its iconic towering smokestack, it quickly became a familiar sight on the skyline. More than just a building, it marked a turning point in Singapore’s energy landscape - the moment electricity was switched on in Singapore, lighting the way for the nation’s future.

As Singapore grew, so did its demand for electricity. In 1927, St James Power Station was opened to meet this rising demand. The power station initially relied entirely on coal for power generation before switching to fuel oil in 1940 to generate electricity.

After the World War II , to keep up with the surging energy demand, Pasir Panjang Power Station was built and completed in 1952. With a capacity of 150,000 kilowatts (kW), it could generate more than double the output of St James Power Station of around 32,000 kW. This marked a significant step forward in powering a rapidly developing Singapore.

In those early years, electricity was prioritised for key industries such as port operations and supported public infrastructure like street lighting and electric trams. For many households, especially those in the rural areas, electricity was still out of reach.

That gradually changed with the launch of the Rural Electrification Programme in 1963. Over the next decade, electricity was extended across the whole of Singapore, marking a major milestone in improving everyday life for all.

Independence brought with it the urgent task of nation-building. Electricity became essential for powering factories, lighting homes, and preparing classrooms for lessons. It quickly became a cornerstone of economic growth and improving living standards.

As Singapore pushed ahead with industrialisation, Pasir Panjang B Power Station opened in 1965, bringing the combined installed generation capacity of the Pasir Panjang power plants to 344 megawatts (MW).

With greater use of electricity came new risks that could not be overlooked. In 1972, a short circuit sparked a fire at Robinsons Department Store, claiming nine lives. This incident prompted the introduction of stricter safety standards and licensing regulations, strengthening the way electrical systems were regulated to better protect lives.

By the mid-1970s, electricity had become part of daily life, connecting households and commercial establishments to the national power grid.

As Singapore’s appetite for electricity grew, the need for infrastructure upgrade such as new power stations became clear. New power stations were built to keep pace with the nation’s rapid development.

In 1977, Senoko Power Station – the largest in Singapore at that time – began operations. With a generation capacity of 1,610 MW, it was powerful enough to meet around 60% of Singapore’s electricity needs at that time.

In 1979, the Public Utilities Board (PUB) – EMA’s predecessor – introduced the computerised Supervisory Control and Data Acquisition System (SCADA) to monitor electricity demand and supply for the entire nation. Today, this has evolved into the mission-critical Energy Management System (EMS) that EMA uses to monitor and control Singapore’s electricity transmission, generating plants, and natural gas transmission network in real-time, ensuring reliable power supply.

Besides ensuring a reliable power supply, efforts to uphold electrical safety have also evolved alongside Singapore’s growing power system. In 1985, new homes began to be fitted with a Residual Current Circuit Breaker (RCCB), which automatically cuts off electricity supply when an electrical leak is detected. Today, all homes must have an RCCB installed.

In 1988, Singapore took another step in expanding its energy infrastructure with the opening of its first offshore power station on Pulau Seraya (now Jurong Island) to bring electricity to the mainland. A 2.6 kilometre submarine cable tunnel was built about 20 metres below sea level, housing electricity cables and tracks for battery-operated maintenance vehicles that carried workers and equipment beneath the sea.

As Singapore entered the early 1990s, attention turned towards strengthening energy security while reducing environmental impact. In 1991, Senoko Power Station became the first power plant in Singapore to generate electricity using natural gas, a cleaner and more efficient fuel. A year later, in 1992, Singapore began importing natural gas from Malaysia, marking another key step in diversifying the nation’s energy sources.

As Singapore entered the digital age with the rise of the internet in the 1990s, electricity demand grew steadily. The power grid had to keep pace, supporting Singapore as it embraced the digital age, keeping homes, schools and workplaces connected.

To meet this growing demand, Singapore began diversified its sources by importing natural gas from Malaysia in the early 1990s, followed by West Natuna, Indonesia in the early 2000s. Together, these moves supported a more diversified and resilient power system. Today, natural gas provides around 95% of our energy needs, sourced not only from pipelines from Malaysia and Indonesia but also imported from around the world through the Liquefied Natural Gas (LNG) Terminal on Jurong Island.

Another key milestone came in 2001 with the establishment of the Energy Market Authority of Singapore (EMA). Set up to ensure a reliable, secure and affordable energy supply, EMA has played a central role in overseeing the power system, fostering effective competition in the energy markets, and supporting the development of a vibrant energy sector.

Even as Singapore developed into a modern, advanced economy, the need to adapt and innovate remains, especially given its lack of domestic natural resources.

Under EMA’s stewardship, measures were implemented to bolster the resilience and adaptability of Singapore’s electricity market. One of the key milestones was the liberalisation of the retail electricity market, in particular the rollout of the Open Electricity Market (OEM) initiative in 2018 that empowered households and small business consumers the option to choose their preferred electricity retailer.

In 2019, EMA also unveiled the Singapore Energy Story, a blueprint to accelerate the transition towards a cleaner, more reliable and cost-competitive energy future. Singapore will diversify its energy mix by maximising solar deployment, enabling regional power grids, exploring low-carbon alternatives, and relying on natural gas to ensure energy security as it scales up the rest of the options.

Diversifying the energy mix is what we are striving towards to achieve our net-zero goal. Since then, we have already made encouraging progress in our energy transition journey:

• In 2021, EMA started to call for proposals for electricity imports, targeting to import around 4 gigawatts (GW) – which we have since increased to 6 GW – of low-carbon electricity.

• In 2022, Singapore launched the National Hydrogen Strategy, which recognises hydrogen’s potential to be used as a low-carbon fuel to accelerate the transition to net zero emissions and strengthen energy security.

• The Lao PDR-Thailand-Malaysia-Singapore Power Integration Project was also officially launched in 2022. This project, which imports renewable hydropower from LAO PDR to Singapore via Thailand and Malaysia, is a significant step towards realising the ASEAN Power Grid vision.

• In 2023, new emissions standards were established for new and repowered power generation units, which must also be hydrogen-ready.

• In July 2025, EMA awarded three generation companies to conduct Carbon Capture and Storage (CCS) feasibility stories for the power sector.

• Having successfully deployed 2 gigawatt-peak (GWp) of solar capacity in 2025 — five years ahead of the original 2030 target—we have now set a more ambitious goal of achieving 3 GWp by 2030.

From the first flicker of electric light to a system that powers a modern city, Singapore’s energy journey has always been about looking ahead. Each milestone was not just about meeting demand, but about building a stronger, more resilient future for the nation.

Today, that journey continues. As the energy landscape evolves, new challenges and opportunities are emerging — and with them, new ways of powering Singapore. By working closely with our partners and embracing innovation, we are shaping an energy system that is cleaner, more secure and ready for the future.

What lies ahead may be different from what came before, but the purpose remains the same: to power Singapore forward, and to keep the lights on for generations to come.