Shale gas good for UK in the short term

Fracking only advised in areas where it will prove most valuable, says report

Shale gas obtained by the process of ‘fracking’ will be beneficially to the UK in reducing carbon emissions, according to the findings of a new report.

The report, from the Grantham Institute on Climate Change and the Environment at LSE, states that by replacing coal-powered power stations with ones run with shale gas, as they will ‘emit less than half the carbon dioxide per kilowatt hour of coal-fired plants’. 

Reports says shale gas can be beneficial, but committed to it too much is 'risky'

(Image source - The Guardian)

However, the report also states that it is risky to assume that the UK has vast quantities of shale gas locked away underground or to assume that gas prices will be lower in years to come. The report believes the best course of action in terms of obtaining shale gas is to focus on areas where it can be most valuable in terms of reducing carbon emissions, which the report describes as a ‘dash for smart gas’.  

‘Fracking’ has proved controversial in Britain, with many critics fearing prolonged fracking sites could lead to earthquakes, polluted water supplies and decreases in housing prices. Supporters of it believe it can provide energy security due to it being collected domestically. Earlier this month, Greenpeace launched a protest outside George Osborne’s constituency office by erecting a mock fracking rig, and last year, the EU warned Britain about ‘jumping headlong’ into shale gas and argued that the country didn’t fully understand the environmental consequences of fracking.