Singapore’s electricity industry is structured to facilitate competitive wholesale and retail markets. This was achieved by separating the ownership of the contestable parts of the industry from those with characteristics of a natural monopoly. To promote the entry of new participants, licenses have also been granted to parties that intend to establish new businesses to participate as electricity generators or retailers. Current market participants are listed below.

Consumers

Consumers have been classified as being either contestable or non-contestable depending on their level of electricity usage. Contestable consumers may choose to purchase electricity from a retailer or directly from the wholesale market or indirectly from the wholesale market through SP Services. Non-contestable consumers are supplied by SP Services.

Energy Market Authority (EMA)

The EMA is the regulator of the electricity industry and has the ultimate responsibility for the market framework and ensuring that the interests of consumers are protected.

Energy Market Company (EMC)

EMC operates and administers the wholesale market. This role includes calculating prices, scheduling generation, clearing and settling market transactions and procuring ancillary services. EMC also administers the rule change process and assists the Market Surveillance and Compliance Panel and Dispute Resolution Counsellor.

Power System Operator (PSO)

The PSO (a division of the EMA) is responsible for ensuring the reliable supply of electricity to consumers and the secure operation of the power system. The PSO controls the dispatch of generation facilities, co-ordinates outages and power system emergency planning and directs the operation of the high-voltage transmission system.

Market Participants

Generation Licensees
Generation Licensees generate electricity for injection into the power grid. They offer to generate various quantities of electricity at their associated prices. All offers are then pooled in the wholesale market to match the demand for electricity.
Active generators are: PowerSeraya, SembCorp Cogen, Senoko Power, Tuas Power, National Environment Agency, Keppel Merlimau Cogen

Interruptible Loads
Interruptible loads are contestable consumers of electricity that participate in the wholesale market and allow their supply of electricity to be interrupted in the event of a system disturbance in exchange for reserve payments.

Market Support Services Licensee
An MSSL is authorised to provide market support services. Such services include consumer registration and transfer, meter reading and meter data management, retail settlements and billing for contestable consumers. SP Services is the only MSSL.

Retail Electricity Licensees
Retailers that sell electricity to contestable consumers are licensed by the EMA. Retailers that are registered as market participants purchase electricity directly from the wholesale market.
Active retailers are: Keppel Electric, SembCorp Power, Senoko Energy Supply, Seraya Energy, Tuas Power Supply

Transmission Licensee
SP PowerAssets owns and is responsible for maintaining the transmission system.

Wholesale Market Trader
Companies, other than generators or retailers, that are licensed by the EMA to trade in the wholesale electricity market are wholesale market traders.
The current wholesale market traders are: Diamond Energy, Air Products Singapore, Pfizer Asia Pacific Pte Ltd, Schering-Plough LTD, IUT Singapore Pte Ltd, Banyan Utilities Pte Ltd

Applications Under Consideration