Striking the right balance in Singapore’s energy trilemma

Energy security, affordability, and sustainability – these three components form the seemingly unsolvable puzzle that has plagued the energy industry, worldwide, for decades. Widely known as the energy trilemma, the term is used to describe the balance between security, equity (accessibility and affordability) and sustainability in energy production.

Solving the trilemma will allow the world to meet current and future energy demands, but many have argued that it is close to impossible due to the inability to align on which factor is most critical as well as the trade-offs needed. In the past decade, as extreme weather events and environmental disasters became more common, the world has shifted its focus from expanding energy access and improving affordability to climate change mitigation and adaptation.

As countries begin to chart a path to green recovery in the aftermath of the Covid-19 pandemic, the energy trilemma will only become increasingly complex.