海角大神

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

Cold front:听. Kiev is reversing flows from western neighbors, but those same countries have seen their Russian supplies drop听. As winter nears, Ukrainians aren't taking any chances;听.

Double digits: Suddenly, the world has more oil than it knows what to do with.听听for 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.听.

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 with听.听If it can demonstrate viability on a large scale, the technology would serve听a vital role in global efforts to combat climate change.

In the pipeline

• Tuesday, Oct. 7: WASHINGTON 鈥撎�. Last year, bouts of extreme cold made for a tough winter on US energy infrastructure. Pipeline constraints and increased natural gas demand for heating and electricity sent spot prices soaring. In the Midwest, the need to dry unusually wet corn harvests caused propane shortages throughout the coldest months.
• Wednesday, Oct. 8: VERONA, ITALY 鈥撎�. Europe is looking increasingly to efficiency as a quick and effective way to wean itself from Russian gas supplies.

Drill deeper

Fracking in the US: The story of one man's oil well
[海角大神]
US shale gets personal for writer William Sargent听when 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.

听

听[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."

[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.

Energy sources

• : "About $175 billion was spent globally on renewable energy projects during the first three quarters, up 16 percent from the same period last year, with Chinese solar investment at a record ..."
• : "The sun could be the world鈥檚 largest source of electricity by 2050, ahead of fossil fuels, wind, hydro, and nuclear ... "
• : "Naftogaz of Ukraine has signed an agreement with Statoil for deliveries of natural gas. The first such agreement between Naftogaz and Statoil, it expands the pool of gas suppliers to Ukraine and also opens a new market for Statoil."

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