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Cold front:Russia, Ukraine, and the EU failed to close a deal this week that would temporarily resume gas flows to Ukraine. Kiev is reversing flows from western neighbors, but those same countries have seen their Russian supplies dropunder mysterious circumstances. As winter nears, Ukrainians aren't taking any chances;They're stocking up on blankets, sealing up windows,and chopping extra wood.

Double digits: Suddenly, the world has more oil than it knows what to do with.The prolonged slide in crude prices has sent gas prices to four-year lowsfor US consumers, but it is unwelcome news for Russia and Iran. Their energy-based economies are already battered by international sanctions and cannot sustain long stretches with oil below $100.It points to bad news for the global economy as well.

CCS: "Clean coal" may be derided as mere PR for the world's most polluting fuel, but the vision of coal power with all the energy upsides and fewer climate downsides came a step closer to reality Thursday withthe openingof the world's first commercial carbon capture and storage plant.If it can demonstrate viability on a large scale, the technology would servea vital role in global efforts to combat climate change.

Fracking in the US: The story of one man's oil well [The Christian Science Monitor] US shale gets personal for writer William Sargentwhen wildcatters offer him thousands of dollars to recover oil from his Texas well with CO2 flooding. Torn between energy prosperity and environmental concerns, Sargent flies to Texas from his Massachusetts home, hoping to make up his mind and see the boom firsthand.

How Green Is Europe?[The American] "'Germany produces half of energy with solar.' That was the recent headline on a German website of news in English, and it would have duly impressed anybody whose understanding of energy matters extends to just such headlines," writes Vaclav Smil, an interdisciplinary analyst and author. "But the headline, totally wrong, was also a perfect example of why it is so important to deconstruct the reports about green Europe."

Perovskite Offers Shot at Cheaper Solar Energy [The Wall Street Journal] Perovskite, a lower-cost alternative to silicone, could be the next big thing in solar. The compoud is quickly catching up to silicon, jumping from 10 to 20 percent efficiency in two short years. Its efficiency and flexibility are why scientists are calling it a potential game-changer for solar power.

From Ukraine gas to oil prices to climate change, Recharge delivers global energy's big ideas to your inbox each weekend.Subscribe for free.

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Ukraine gas talks stall; Oil prices slide; A step toward 'clean coal' [Recharge]