Information report published the Commission for Economic Affairs in compliance with the article 145 of the Regulation on the economic impact - Nr 1951

This report first describes the context of emergence and development of shale gas exploitation in the USA. The authors highlight the combination of three factors: a technological innovation, a fostering industrial context, and a favourable legal framework. They identify this development as a lasting phenomenon, and discuss the aspects according to which it must not be considered as a speculative bubble as some argue: the American production is maintained at a high level, reserves and resources are huge, and the American gas price is to remain much lower that the price of other world markets. They show that this development fosters American growth: direct and demonstrated impacts as well as uncertain or diffuse impacts are reviewed. In a third part, the authors outline that Europe is the great loser in the shale gas revolution: European gas power plants are being closed because of American coal exports, energy-intensive industries will be threatened from 2016, and American exports help Asia to reduce its competitiveness differential with respect to Europe. In a fourth part, the authors examine leverages of action: exploitation of shale gas in France, increase of carbon price, definition of supply conditions specific to energy-intensive industries