Dennis the 'Bloody Peasant'
13th December 2012, 10:38
Saw that doc 'GasLand'...didn't put fracking in a good light, so lil bit concerned about this.
The government has given the go-ahead for a firm to resume the controversial technique known as fracking to exploit gas in Lancashire.
Conditions have been imposed to minimise the risk of seismic activity.
Fracking involves creating little explosions underground, then injecting water and chemicals to release gas trapped in cavities in shale rocks.
The firm, Cuadrilla, was stopped from fracking after two small earthquakes.
In the US, exploitation of shale gas boom has sent energy prices tumbling, and the Prime Minister has expressed hopes that the UK can enjoy a similar boom.
But government advisers warn today that shale gas may be unlikely to bring down energy prices much in Britain.
In fact, the Committee on Climate Change warns that relying heavily on gas for future electricity supplies would leave households vulnerable to higher bills in the long run as the price of gas on the international market is volatile.
The UK won't benefit from substantially lower prices unless the rest of Europe decides to back shale gas too, as Europe has a gas grid that allows gas to be traded to the highest bidder.
The CCC has examined the potential impact on bills of different energy systems and predicts that subsidies to renewables and nuclear would put about £100 on household bills by 2020, but that by 2050 a gas-based electricity system might cost people as much as £600 extra.
(Full article - http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-20707574)
The government has given the go-ahead for a firm to resume the controversial technique known as fracking to exploit gas in Lancashire.
Conditions have been imposed to minimise the risk of seismic activity.
Fracking involves creating little explosions underground, then injecting water and chemicals to release gas trapped in cavities in shale rocks.
The firm, Cuadrilla, was stopped from fracking after two small earthquakes.
In the US, exploitation of shale gas boom has sent energy prices tumbling, and the Prime Minister has expressed hopes that the UK can enjoy a similar boom.
But government advisers warn today that shale gas may be unlikely to bring down energy prices much in Britain.
In fact, the Committee on Climate Change warns that relying heavily on gas for future electricity supplies would leave households vulnerable to higher bills in the long run as the price of gas on the international market is volatile.
The UK won't benefit from substantially lower prices unless the rest of Europe decides to back shale gas too, as Europe has a gas grid that allows gas to be traded to the highest bidder.
The CCC has examined the potential impact on bills of different energy systems and predicts that subsidies to renewables and nuclear would put about £100 on household bills by 2020, but that by 2050 a gas-based electricity system might cost people as much as £600 extra.
(Full article - http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-20707574)