Germany's Self-restriction in Shale Gas Exploitation: A Missed Opportunity?
Russia’s supply stop of natural gas has forced Europe to turn to LNG to meet its energy needs. Rather than locking into a decades-long import dependency on Qatar and the US, it would be more environmentally benign to exploit domestic resources. Germany’s substantial reserves of shale gas could make it a major player in Europe’s gas market if it were to drop its voluntary ban on shale gas exploitation.
Frondel, M., C. Schmidt and C. Vance Ph.D. (2023), Germany's Self-restriction in Shale Gas Exploitation: A Missed Opportunity?. IAEE Energy Forum, Second Quarter, 28-29