Responding to reports today (Thursday 13 June 2013) that Centrica has bought a 25 per cent stake in a venture license to drill for shale gas in northern England from fracking firm Cuadrilla, Friends of the Earth’s Energy Campaigner Tony Bosworth said:

“Buying into Cuadrilla is about the only way Centrica could make itself even more unpopular with the public, who are fed up with the company raking in huge profits on the back of rocketing fuel bills.

“People are right to be concerned about the impacts of developing shale gas. It undermines efforts to tackle climate change, poses a pollution threat to drinking water and – as even Cuadrilla admits – won’t cut fuel bills.

“Instead of embarking on new fossil fuel adventures it’s time Centrica came forward with solutions for meeting our carbon targets – we should be developing affordable clean British energy from our wind, waves and sun.”

ENDS

Notes

1. Cuadrilla’s own PR admits that shale gas will have a “basically insignificant” impact on lowering fuel bills
2. Earlier this year Centrica’s Chief Executive Sam Laidlaw was downplaying the potential impact of shale gas
3. Earlier this month 267 MPs voted in favour of including a target in the Energy Bill to decarbonise the UK power sector by 2030. The target is backed by over 200 major businesses, trade unions, charities and faith groups. They say it would kick-start investment in UK renewable energy, which in turn would help tackle climate change, create jobs and provide the framework needed for affordable energy for the future. The vote was narrowly lost, but the issue is set to debated in the House of Lords on 18 June.
4. Friends of the Earth’s Clean British Energy campaign, backed by TV Dragons’ Den’s Deborah Meaden, is urging the Government to act now to fix our broken energy system by setting a target in the Energy Bill to clean up our electricity by 2030. Slashing energy waste and developing renewable power from our wind, sun and waves will tackle climate change, create thousands of UK jobs, and make our future fuel bills more predictable.