Rishi Sunak is about to make a big deal for the US to supply fracked gas to avoid winter blackouts

The prime minister hopes to reach an agreement with Joe Biden this month that would allow the US to supply billions of cubic feet of natural gas to Britain in the coming months to ease the energy crisis caused by Vladimir Putin.

The deal, which was initiated by Liz Truss, would bolster the UK’s energy supply and reduce the risk of blackouts, which the National Grid has warned are possible this winter.

Ironically, this would make the UK more dependent on gas produced by fracking, just weeks after Sunak re-imposed a ban on the controversial technology in the UK. About two-thirds of US gas is now produced through hydraulic fracturing, turning America back into a net exporter of energy in recent years.

President Biden, pictured speaking at a meeting in Maryland on Monday, is likely to discuss the issue with his British counterpart at next week’s G20 summit in Indonesia

Andy Mayer, an energy analyst at the Institute of Economic Affairs think tank, said exploiting the UK’s vast reserves of shale gas would be more environmentally friendly than importing supplies from the US and generate massive tax revenue and economic activity.

“Banning fracking in the UK while making deals to import US-fracking gas prioritizes climate concerns over climate action,” he said. It reduces our energy security, risks higher bills and undermines public finances.

“Imported gas, cooled and shipped in huge tankers, has a larger carbon footprint than gas drilled at home.

“Antifracking campaigns are not environmentally friendly as long as we remain dependent on fossil fuels for 75 percent of our primary energy.” Downing Street confirmed talks were underway about a deal, but declined to comment on details.

The Prime Minister’s official spokesman said the US is a country where “together we can do more to tackle energy price spikes.” He added: “We are still in talks with the US about what the right course of action might be.”

Mr Sunak, pictured following his election as leader of the Conservative party last month, hopes to finalize the US energy deal as early as December.

A government source said Sunak is likely to discuss the issue with Biden at next week’s G20 summit in Indonesia. The UK is also in talks with both Norway and Qatar over long-term gas supply agreements.

Ministers hope that the new ‘energy security partnership’ with the US can be sealed as early as this month.

Meanwhile, former cabinet minister Lord Frost also said there was “a degree of hypocrisy” in trying to import more fracked gas while its extraction was banned in the UK.

He told GB News: ‘Personally, I’m in favor of at least trying fracking, to see if we can do that effectively. We must be responsible for our own security of supply.’