[9][10] At its full output-capacity, the power plant produced approximately 22,000 kW of electricity, much of which was supplied to the Pasir Panjang, Bukit Timah, Tanglin, Geylang, Katong and East Coast areas and districts.

Historian Singh Mohinder recollects that, during this period, St James Power Station became a major landmark of its surroundings and had the effect of entirely transforming the appearance of that part of the Telok Blangah Bay area.

In restaurants throughout the city, most people ignored the power failure and went on dining and/or dancing by candlelight, with many men stripping off coats and bowties because of the heat from cut and downed air-conditioning (AC) and fans.

The power station was finally decommissioned in 1976 due to its high overall operating costs and the island's continually-growing demand for electricity and was shut down after consuming its last reserves of gas fuel.

Another tenant found St James Power Station over shopping centres and hotels because of its 20m-high ceiling, which provides enough space for light projection.

"[18] St James Power Station regained its grandiosity and entertained the public, with more than 2,500 people partying at its official opening[19] and brought in a revenue of about $30 million in 2013.

[20] Prior to 2018, St James Power Station had 11 nightclubs and live-entertainment destinations housed under one roof, rivalling Zirca at Clarke Quay and nearby Zouk, with 70,000 sq ft (6,500 m2) of floor space.

St James Power Station underwent a makeover from 2019 to 2021, having been established as the headquarters of Dyson and being a heritage trail and gallery tour dedicated to Singapore's port and industrial history.

In collaboration with local company Mapletree Investments, its restoration was aimed to revitalise the monument as part of the upcoming Greater Southern Waterfront development.

This includes power electronics, energy storage, sensors, vision systems, embedded software, robotics, artificial intelligence, machine learning, and connected devices.

[23] The power station's building was designed by Alexander Esmé Gordon and Preece, together with Cardew & Rider, being based on Edwardian architecture, which was quite popular during the reign of King Edward VII of the United Kingdom and was notable for being less ornate, being composed of big spaces and the offer of much natural lighting and the use of lighter shades of colours because there was less concern about soot and thick dust with the introduction of electricity (instead of relying on fire from candles and oil-lamps, amongst others, for lighting).

The most distinctive features of St James Power Station was its large red-brick walls, its long rows of full-length windows (made up of stained glass) and its two chimneys.