Solar installations in Balcombe, a village at the heart of the British fracking debate, is a rebuttal of national energy policy, Friends of the Earth say. British shale explorer Cuadrilla Resources last year was the target of major protests after it started exploratory drilling in the region. Protesters were concerned the drilling campaign was a prelude to a hydraulic fracturing operation, though the process known also as fracking was not conducted at the site.
Friends of the Earth said news that Balcombe decided to install solar panels on village roofs was a step away from London's reliance on fossil fuels.