The perceived impact of fracking on energy security and property values in the United Kingdom: an analysis of interviews with key-informants

A considerable body of academic research has emerged in the last decade identifying many environmental consequences of unconventional hydraulic fracturing (‘fracking’ or ‘UHF’) in the U.K. (for example, on climate change, air pollution, wastewater disposal and water contamination). However, there is much less research on the economic implications of fracking, particularly regarding property values and contributions toward energy security. This article will draw upon primary data collected through twenty semi-structured interviews with key-informants to the fracking industry in the U.K. (including a variety of interviewees from regulatory bodies, academia, the oil and gas industry, and anti-fracking campaigners, giving a reasonable breadth of knowledge, experience and opinion). Qualitative analysis of interview data concludes that fracking will contribute only minimally to energy security, whilst having a perceived negative impact for the value of property, particularly those located within close proximity to extraction sites.