Cuadrilla has been granted planning permission to start fracking in Lancashire by energy minister Claire Perry.
The government has made a number of moves to oversee planning for shale gas in recent years.
Cuadrilla can now start to extract methane via hydraulic fracturing from the Bowland Basin via the Preston New Road site, provided government receives latest financial accounts for equity partner Spirit Energy, or Cuadrilla deposits £557,000 in an Escrow account to support potential decommissioning liabilities.
Perry is also clean growth minister. She suggested shale gas could enhance energy security, create jobs and “[help] us with our continued transition to a lower-carbon economy”.
The UK is heavily reliant on gas for heating and industrial processes, and has been a net importer of gas since 2004. While renewables are increasingly penetrating power generation, gas remains the single biggest generation source.
See the decision here.
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