Electricity in Singapore in 2024
In the year 2024, electricity consumption in Singapore is predominantly driven by fossil fuels, specifically gas. The data indicates that more than 95% of Singapore's electricity is derived from fossil sources, with gas alone accounting for over 92% of the total. Low-carbon or clean energy sources, such as biofuels and solar, comprise a smaller portion, together making up about 5% of the electricity mix. Solar energy accounts for a little over 2%, and biofuels slightly less, indicating that Singapore is only just beginning to integrate low-carbon energy into its electricity landscape. This heavy reliance on fossil energy is concerning considering its impacts, such as climate change and air pollution, which underscore the need for a transition towards cleaner energy sources.
Data sources used on this page include EIA, Ember, IEA and World Bank. More about data sources →
Is Electricity Growing in Singapore?
Electricity consumption is on the rise in Singapore, reflecting both economic growth and an increasing demand for energy. In 2024, the total electricity consumption reached 10,400 kWh per person, marking an increase from the previous high in 2022 of 10,106 kWh per person. This equates to an increase of nearly 300 kWh per person. Additionally, cleaner electricity is seeing growth, with low-carbon electricity generation per person rising by 62 kWh to 511 kWh. This upward trend in electricity consumption, along with the growth in low-carbon generation, highlights the opportunity and need for expanding sustainable electricity sources to meet future demands and ensure an environmentally responsible energy supply.
Suggestions
To further boost low-carbon electricity generation, Singapore can draw lessons from successful regions around the world. Countries like France and Slovakia generate the majority of their electricity from nuclear energy, proving its feasibility and efficiency as a major clean energy source. Similarly, solar energy has seen significant uptake in places like Nevada and California. Singapore, given its geographical constraints, could particularly benefit from expanding its solar capacity, learning from regions like Hawaii and Lebanon that have harnessed solar energy effectively. By strategically investing in and scaling up both nuclear and solar energy, Singapore can significantly increase its cleaner electricity output, thus reducing its dependency on fossil fuels and aligning with global climate goals.
History
Historically, Singapore's journey with low-carbon electricity has seen incremental growth, particularly in biofuels and solar energy. As early as 1986, biofuels began contributing to the electricity mix, though growth was minimal over the decades until a notable increase of 1.1 TWh in 2019. Solar energy contributions began more recently, showing incremental increases from 2016 onwards with relatively stable annual growth by 2023 and 2024, each seeing increments of 0.3 TWh. Such steady progress in solar growth poses a promising avenue for increasing the share of low-carbon electricity in Singapore. However, to significantly decrease its reliance on fossil fuels, Singapore must accelerate these efforts substantially, targeting more ambitious deployments of solar and also considering nuclear energy as a robust long-term solution.
