Energy Timeline
1906 to 1945
1906
Singapore's first electric street lights are switched on.
1927
Singapore’s first coal-fired power plant, St James Power Station, officially opens
1930
Singapore's first traffic lights flicker on at Empress Place.
1939
Singapore’s first air-conditioned cinema, Cathay Cinema, opens its doors to the public.
1946 to 1965
1963
Singapore begins the Rural Electrification Programme, which allows rural homes in Singapore to receive electricity from the national power grid.
1965
Pasir Panjang Power Station, which opened in 1953, is expanded in light of our rapid industrialisation.
1966 to 1995
1972
Stricter electrical safety regulations are implemented in the wake of the Robinsons Department Store electrical fire at Raffles Place. These include requiring all elevators be able to return to the ground floor in the event of a fire, and activating standby generators within five minutes of any power failure to power essential and critical equipment.
1979
Ulu Pandan Incinerator becomes Singapore’s first incinerator plant to generate electricity using waste.
1988
Pulau Seraya becomes Singapore’s first offshore power plant with three 250 MW generating steam plants.
1992
Singapore starts importing natural gas from Malaysia.
1996 to 2010
2001
The Energy Market Authority (EMA) is established to ensure a reliable and secure energy supply, promote effective competition in the energy market, and develop a dynamic energy sector in Singapore.
2003
Singapore starts importing natural gas from Indonesia.
2011 to 2019
2013
A micro-grid is launched in Pulau Ubin, incorporating solar photovoltaic technology to provide residents with lower costs, and a cleaner and more reliable electricity supply.
2018
The Open Electricity Market is launched to allow household consumers more choices and flexibility when buying electricity.
2019
A nationwide rollout of advanced electricity meters is announced, empowering households to use energy more efficiently.
2020 to Present
2020
Singapore announces its electricity imports trial of 100MW from Malaysia.
2021
Singapore unveils its whole-of-nation agenda for sustainable development (Singapore Green Plan 2030).
2021
Singapore announces plans to import up to 4GW of low-carbon electricity by 2035, with the first Request for Proposal to import up to 1.2GW beginning by 2027.
2021
Singapore announces plans to import 100MW of low-carbon electricity from Pulau Bulan, Indonesia and up to 100MW of hydropower under the Laos PDR-Thailand-Malaysia-Singapore Power Integration Project.