LEP: Gas fracking hopes 'premature'

Energy experts have criticised the Government's "premature" assertion that fracking for shale gas would transform Britain's energy supplies.

While gas can be a "bridging fuel" in the shift to a low-carbon economy, it would not be long before the fossil fuel became part of the problem rather than the solution in helping tackle climate change, they warned.

The Government has said it is going "all out for shale", suggesting the unconventional gas source in the UK could bring down energy prices, improve security of supplies, and boost the economy in areas it is found such as the north west of England.

But experts from the UK Energy Research Centre said the Government should not bank on shale. Professor Jim Watson, of the University of Sussex, said there was nothing wrong with exploring for shale gas as long as it was compatible with policy goals, including cutting emissions to tackle climate change.
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