APPENDIX 3: CALL FOR EVIDENCE
The Economic Affairs Committee has chosen
for its next inquiry the economic impact of shale gas and oil
on UK Energy Policy. The focus of this inquiry is not climate
change and we take as given the Government's commitment to reduce
carbon emissions.
The British Geological Survey results
published in June 2013 have confirmed that the UK has substantial
onshore shale gas resources in the Bowland area of the North and
the Midlands. Further reports covering other regions have yet
to be published. The precise scale and commercial feasibility
of these resources is not yet known.
Despite this uncertainty, recent experience
in the United States suggests that shale gas can be developed
using existing technology and make a material economic impact
both in the local areas where production is possible, and to the
national energy economy.
The Committee would welcome written
evidence on any or all of the issues set out below, or on any
other relevant aspects, by 30 September.
The inquiry will seek to answer questions
such as:
(1) How much scope is there for
shale gas and oil—from domestic and overseas sources—to
be used in the UK? Over what timeframe?
(2) How will the costs, including
those on the environment, of accessing the UK's shale gas and
oil deposits compare to those of other sources of energy?
(3) What is the potential impact
of shale gas and oil on the local economies in areas where development
is possible?
(4) What will be the impact of shale
gas on the cost of electricity generated at gas-fired power plants
and how will it compare to other forms of generation including
coal, nuclear and renewable?
(5) Will the UK electricity market
be easily able to incorporate shale gas in future or will generators
be locked into long-term contracts with other energy sources?
Are there any other potential barriers to the use of shale gas
in electricity generation?
(6) Which forms of electricity generation
is shale gas likely to displace and by how much?
(7) What impact will shale gas and
oil have on household energy bills?
(8) What effect will the use of
shale gas and oil have on carbon emissions compared to other combinations
of energy sources?
(9) Will shale gas and oil increase
UK energy security?
(10) What infrastructure investment
will be necessary to cope with the development of shale gas and
oil? How far will it help to ensure sufficient UK energy supplies?
How will this investment be financed?
(11) What changes to public policies
are necessary to maximise the potential of any shale gas development?
(12) Will shale gas and oil lead
the UK to be less dependent on energy from less reliable regions
of the world such as the Middle East and Russia?
(13) What lessons can be learnt
from the US experience of shale gas and oil?
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