The UK government may award over 100 new licenses to oil and gas companies to drill in the North Sea to improve energy security during a global supply shortage. The licensing round was launched on Friday and won’t lead to new production for several years.
When the drilling does begin, the UK will remain dependent on energy imports, leaving it still vulnerable to increased prices and supply disruptions. UK utilities company National Grid warned on Thursday that businesses and households could not have power for up to three hours at a time in a worst-case situation this winter. The utility company said it would attempt to mitigate this risk by bringing old coal-fired power stations back online if necessary. The licensing won’t improve the immediate supply and could face pushback from environmental activists, including Greenpeace. The new licenses won’t improve the supply in the short term and will potentially make the climate crisis worse with more fossil fuel use according to Greenpeace.
Read More: Facing risk of blackouts this winter, the UK will drill for more oil
