In decades to come, Britain may well sustain carbon-free energy solutions at huge scale in solar, water and hydrogen. More than 50 years since the first North Sea oil was struck, the British Isles remain surrounded by unexploited oil and gas reserves while beneath the country's surface lie layer upon layer of shale

With careful and environmentally sensitive modern drilling techniques, these untapped gold mines of natural resources could keep our fleet of mothballed natural-gas generators fired up until long-lasting sources of greener energy have been secured. More than 50 years since the first North Sea oil was struck, the British Isles remain surrounded by unexploited oil and gas reserves while beneath the country's surface lie layer upon layer of shale. And the worst part? This chaotic and alarming situation is wholly unnecessary.

The result is that Britain now faces a crisis in its energy security. Millions of pensioners and the most vulnerable households now face untold hardship this winter, while the 'squeezed' middle classes can expect their bills to soar far in excess of anything they are used to.įor years - as the run-up to the Cop26 climate summit in Glasgow has amply shown - successive governments have focused on renewables and other non-polluting energy sources as a means of addressing climate change. Nine firms have gone bust this year amid soaring wholesale gas prices, while companies supplying some six million homes are said to be at risk of imminent collapse. The crisis in the nation's energy supplies has reached a level unseen for two generations.

Cid episode 1277