Keeping the lights on today while shaping tomorrow's energy system is Singapore's defining challenge. In a brand new season of SIEWCast, MoneyFM 89.3's Lynlee Foo speaks with Mr Puah Kok Keong, Chief Executive of the Energy Market Authority (EMA). They discuss how Singapore is driving its energy transition, from scaling solar to importing regional renewables. Mr Puah also shares how Singapore is building smarter grids and exploring low-carbon technologies to achieve a resilient, sustainable future.
Show Notes:
In this episode, we discuss…
- How Singapore is tackling the energy trilemma, balancing security, affordability, and sustainability
- EMA's 4 Switches strategy and roadmap to net zero by 2050
- Scaling solar deployment and importing regional renewables, and investing in low-carbon technologies to secure a cleaner energy mix
- Using smart grids, energy storage, and artificial intelligence (AI) to build a resilient power system
- Advancing the ASEAN Power Grid and regional collaboration to drive the energy transition
Key takeaways
03:27 | Tackling the energy trilemma Singapore faces the challenge of balancing affordability, reliability, and sustainability. With 95 percent of power still fossil fuel-based, EMA is accelerating efforts to diversify energy sources. |
04:15 | Singapore's 4 Four Switches strategy To reach net zero by 2050, EMA is scaling solar deployment to 2GWp by 2030, with plans to import up to 6GW of renewables electricity by 2035. Natural gas will continue to play a role as a transitional fuel. EMA is also investing in low-carbon technologies to shape Singapore's future energy mix. |
07:59 | Near-term priorities EMA's immediate focus is on scaling solar and securing regional imports to meet rising demand. Other solutions, including geothermal, nuclear energy, carbon capture and storage (CCS), and ammonia, are still being studied. These will take more time to mature and could take about 15 years to scale. |
09:40 | Building a smarter, more resilient grid EMA is exploring AI-enabled demand management systems to optimise energy use in homes and buildings. The Authority is also studying the potential of large-scale Energy Storage Systems to better manage solar intermittency and support a smarter, more distributed power grid. |
14:20 | Advancing ASEAN power interconnectivity A connected ASEAN Power Grid could unlock vast renewable energy potential and improve regional resilience. Building this network will require significant investment in subsea cables and power interconnections. Success will also depend on harmonising policies and regulations to enable cross-border power trade. |
22:21 | Driving regional collaboration on CCS EMA is conducting feasibility studies on CCS for Singapore's power sector. The Authority is open to discussions with industry players and regional neighbours on opportunities for a future CCS ecosystem. |
23:24 | Reflecting on Singapore's energy journey With SIEW 2025 marking Singapore's SG60 celebrations, Mr Puah reflects on the nation's progress in building a reliable and secure energy system. He also shares his vision for a low-carbon future. He hopes that discussions at SIEW will inspire greater momentum in developing Singapore's future energy pathways. |
About our guest Mr Puah Kok Keong is the Chief Executive of the Energy Market Authority, responsible for ensuring a reliable and secure energy supply, promoting effective competition in the energy market, and developing a dynamic energy sector in Singapore. From 2016 to 2024, Mr Puah served as Deputy Secretary (Policy) at the Ministry of Home Affairs. In this role, he oversaw policy development, strategy planning, resource management, international cooperation, and research and statistics. He began his career in 2002 as an economist at the Ministry of Trade and Industry and became the Deputy Director of Energy Policy in 2007. In 2008, he joined the Ministry of Health as Deputy Director of Primary and Community Care. Mr Puah later assumed the role of Director of Governance and Planning in 2010. From 2011 to 2015, he served as Director for Fiscal Policy at the Ministry of Finance. Mr Puah also sits on the Board of the National Environment Agency and Meranti Power. He received both a Bachelor's and Master's degree in Economics from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology in 2000. He also earned a Master's degree in Management Science from Stanford University in 2016. |
Additional Resources
- Mr Puah Kok Keong's bio
- Navigating the energy trilemma [03:27]
- Singapore's 4 Switches explained [04:15]
- Singapore's solar target of 2GWp by 2030 [04:45]
- Regional imports of up to 6GW by 2035 [06:07]
- ASEAN Power Grid and subsea cables [14:20]
- Carbon capture and storage feasibility [07:27]
- Ammonia pathfinder project with the Maritime Port Authority [07:10]
- Developing nuclear energy capabilities [08:17]
- Celebrating SG60@SIEW [23:24]
You can find the transcript of this episode here.
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This SIEWCast episode is brought to you by Singapore International Energy Week (SIEW) and MoneyFM 89.3.