Controversial shale gas extraction is “not the evil thing that some people try to make it out,” Energy Secretary Ed Davey has claimed.
Anti-fracking activists have staged a series of protests at various sites over the past weeks, most notably at Cuadrilla’s operation in Balcombe, leading the firm to withdraw a bid to extend its oil exploration in Sussex.
But Davey, taking questions from radio listeners, said the benefits of shale extraction would bring extra security the country’s energy wealth.
“If we can have gas safely in this country that will mean jobs, tax revenue and greater energy security – so fracking is not the evil thing that some people try to make it out to be,” he said.
“We are in the exploratory days. I wanted to make sure that as we go ahead with it that we have tough regulations to tackle things like methane emissions and any pollution to make sure that we have got things like water sustainability right.
“If we are going to do fracking we have got to make sure that it does not hurt our environment and local communities benefit from it.
“We are going to need gas over the next 20 or 30 years as we transition to low carbon.
“Gas is a part of the transition for sure and the question is where is that gas going to come from?
“Gas production from the North Sea is going down.
“We are importing more gas and quite a lot from the other side of the world.
“If we can have gas safely in this country that will mean jobs, tax revenue and greater energy security – so fracking is not the evil thing that some people try to make it out to be.”
Supporters of the process insist it is safe, and a key part of making the UK more energy self-sufficient, pointing to the huge success operations have had in the USA in increasing gas supplies and lowering bills.
But water companies are worried the process could contaminate drinking water aquifers that lie above shale gas reserves, while critics have expressed environmental concerns after earthquakes hit Lancashire in the wake of tracking operations there.
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