[From Feb 2020. In draft for over a year.]
On Facebook, this news was met with derision and incredulity.
And what I could call "patriotic anxiety".
Why is Singapore doing this? Netizens (Singaporeans) were bemused. We had just severed our dependence on Malaysia for Water. Why start to depend on Malaysia for another critical resource?
Let me explain... well, this is my interpretation.
1) Singapore lacks "alternative energy" sources. We have no space for wind farms and we lack the conditions (strong steady wind) for it. No hydro-electric potential. Nor wave. Nor geothermal. We do have sun/solar, and we do try to harness that (see #7 below). The main way we generate power is with Natural Gas (or liquefied natural gas or LNG), which is the CLEANEST fossil fuel to use, but still a fossil fuel. There is still carbon emission.
2) Regional power grids can generate energy more cleanly. At least they have the potential to do so. Malaysia has the land and possibly some geological features to harness Solar, Wind, and maybe even Hydro-electric power. If we tap on the regional grid, which is producing cleaner energy (in whole or in part) we don't HAVE to produce energy with our dirty fuel (LNG) system. That is our commitment to reduce our carbon emissions.
3) What this 2-year trial means is that instead of producing 100 MW of power with our generators and emitting carbon, we import 100 MW of (hopefully) cleaner energy from MY.
4) If you understand the above, that means that IF MY does a Mahathir and threatens to cut off supply, we just start up our "dirty" generators and produce 100 MW more. No strategic chokepoint.
5) Of course, 100 MW is just a start. If the 2 year trial is a success (which I will operationally define as Mahathir dies within the 2 years and cannot cock up the plan), in all likelihood we will import more.
6) BTW, SG uses about 13 GWh a day (my rough calc. I may be wrong.) Or about 13,000 MWh. Against that, what is 100 MW?
7) For comparison, our solar power generation currently is 0.4 GW or 400 MW (I hope my conversion is correct.) Or 4 times what is covered in the 2 year trial.
8) As an aside, the plan is to increase our solar power generation to 2 GW.
9) So you might ask, what is the big deal about importing just 100 MW? The point is precisely the reaction and comments from social media. Or rather to see if it provokes this reaction. You will be glad to know that this... patriotism/nationalism was what was hoped for.
10) So some of the comments were along the lines of, "we have to be self-sufficient in energy generation, not depend on some regional grid." Well, the intent is to be more green in our energy generation, but the question is, how? As noted, SG is alternative energy challenged. We do have solar, but it is not the answer. Solar cannot supply all our energy needs.
11) In Oct 2019, there was already talk of Singapore connecting to the ASEAN Power Grid. So this trial with Malaysia is just a step towards plugging into that ASEAN Power Grid, and hopefully, plugging into a greener power grid. Certainly, as a strategic consideration, we would not completely abandon our existing power generation capabilities. If our two main generators are generating 90% of our power needs, once we are plugged into the Regional grid, we could reduce our power generation to just 40% or 50% of our needs and purchase the rest of our power from the (hopefully) greener Regional grid. What this means is that if there is a need (say a failure of the regional grid, or political machinations), we can ramp up our power generation to 90% or higher to cover any shortfall from the Regional grid.
12) Also, by 2027, we would be getting power from Australia:
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