UK Politicians Say Slow Shale Progress 'Disappointing'
British MPs say shale gas could not be as good for the UK as it has been in the United States, but the government should still accelerate national development of this alternative energy source..
A new report from the Parliamentary Committee on Energy and Climate Change warns that assumptions should not be made about the benefits of shale, extracted by hydraulic fracturing. It says shale could "enhance energy security", but not necessarily reduce prices for consumers.
However its conclusion is that progress on harnessing shale's potential for the UK, and government policy on this, has been below par to date.
"Care is required to ensure that the shale gas industry in the UK develops more quickly in the future while doing everything possible to allay unwarranted concerns of local communities," the report says. "But the lack of progress over the past two years is disappointing."
It also repeats the observation that the geology and population distribution of the UK differ from those in North America, and could make shale extraction more complicated.
The report, produced after hearings from industry sources and other interested parties as well as other research, said the amount of recoverable shale gas in UK territory is still unknown.This means the impact shale gas will have on gas prices is unclear. "[Therefore] it would be wrong for the Government to base policy decisions at this stage on the assumption that gas prices will fall in the future," the report says.
Committee chairman Tim Yeo of the Conservative Party said: "It is still too soon to call whether shale gas will provide the silver bullet needed to solve our energy problems. Although the US shale gas has seen a dramatic fall in domestic gas prices, a similar 'revolution' here is not certain."
Friends of the Earth spokesman Tony Bosworth told the BBC: "This does little to back the case for a UK shale gas revolution.
"Fracking is dirty and unnecessary – it's little wonder so many communities are in opposition. We should be building an affordable power system based on our abundant clean energy from the wind, waves and sun.”
See also: 'Dash for Gas' Confusing UK Investors, FT: Ignorance is Biggest Enemy in Shale War