title: Battle of Manzikert

text: On 25 August, some of Romanos' Turkic mercenaries came into contact with their Seljuk kin and deserted. Romanos then rejected a Seljuk peace embassy. He wanted to settle the eastern question and the persistent Turkic incursions and settlements with a decisive military victory. He understood that raising another army would be both difficult and expensive. The emperor attempted to recall Tarchaneiotes and his half of the forces, but they were no longer in the area. There were no engagements that day, but on 26 August, the Byzantine army gathered itself into a proper battle formation and began to march on the Turkish positions, with the left wing under Bryennios, the right wing under Theodore Alyates, and the centre under the emperor. At that moment, a Turkish soldier said to Alp Arslan, "My Sultan, the enemy army is approaching", and Alp Arslan is said to have replied, "Then we are also approaching them". Andronikos Doukas led the reserve forces in the rear – a foolish mistake by the emperor, considering the dubious loyalties of the Doukas family. The Seljuks were organized into a crescent formation about four kilometres away. Seljuk horse archers attacked the Byzantines as they drew closer; the centre of their crescent continually moved backwards while the wings moved to surround the Byzantine troops.


title: Battle of Manzikert

text: The Byzantines pressed on despite the arrow attacks and captured Alp Arslan's camp by the end of the afternoon. However, the right and left wings, where the arrows did most of their damage, almost broke up when individual units tried to force the Seljuks into a pitched battle; the Seljuk cavalry simply disengaged when challenged, in the classic Parthian tactics of steppe warriors. With the Seljuks avoiding battle, Romanos was forced to order a withdrawal by nightfall. However, the right wing misunderstood the order, and Doukas deliberately ignored the emperor's order to cover the army's withdrawal and marched directly back to the Byzantine camp outside Manzikert. With the Byzantines thoroughly confused, the Seljuks seized the opportunity and attacked. The Byzantine right wing was almost immediately routed, thinking they were betrayed either by the Armenians or the army's Turkish auxiliaries. Some authors suppose that Armenians were the first to flee, and they all managed to get away, while by contrast, the Turkish auxiliaries remained loyal to the end. Other sources suggest that Armenian infantry stoutly resisted and did not turn tail, and did not abandon the emperor as many had. When Romanos saw the boldness of the Armenian foot soldiers, he displayed great affection for them and promised them unheard-of rewards. In the end, the emperor's personal troops and these Armenian foot soldiers suffered the heaviest casualties in the Byzantine army. The left wing under Bryennios held out a little longer but was also soon routed. The remnants of the Byzantine centre, including the emperor and the Varangian Guard, were encircled by the Seljuks. Romanos was wounded and taken prisoner by the Seljuks. The survivors were many who fled the field and were pursued throughout the night, but not beyond that; by dawn, the professional core of the Byzantine army had been destroyed, while many of the peasant troops and levies who had been under the command of Andronikus had fled.


title: Battle of Manzikert

text: When Romanos was conducted into the presence of Alp Arslan, the Sultan refused to believe that the bloodied and tattered man covered in dirt was the mighty Emperor of the Romans. After discovering his identity, Alp Arslan placed his boot on the Emperor's neck and forced him to kiss the ground.


title: Battle of Manzikert

text: Alp Arslan then treated Romanos with considerable kindness and again offered the terms of peace that he had offered before the battle.


title: Battle of Manzikert

text: According to Ibn al-Adim, in the presence of Arslan, Romanos blamed the raids of Rashid al-Dawla Mahmud into Byzantine territory for his interventions in Muslim territories which eventually led to the Battle of Manzikert. Romanos remained a captive of the Sultan for a week. During this time, the Sultan allowed Romanos to eat at his table while concessions were agreed upon: Antioch, Edessa, Hierapolis, and Manzikert were to be surrendered. This would have left the vital core of Anatolia untouched. A payment of 10 million gold pieces demanded by the Sultan as a ransom for Romanos was deemed as too high by the latter, so the Sultan reduced its short-term expense by asking for 1.5 million gold pieces as an initial payment instead, followed by an annual sum of gold pieces. Plus, a marriage alliance was prepared between Alp Arslan's son and Romanos’ daughter. The Sultan then gave Romanos many presents and an escort of two emirs and one hundred Mamluks on his route to Constantinople.


title: Battle of Manzikert

text: Shortly after his return to his subjects, Romanos found his rule in serious trouble. Despite attempts to raise loyal troops, he was defeated three times in battle against the Doukas family and was deposed, blinded, and exiled to the island of Proti. He died soon after due to an infection caused by his brutal blinding. Romanos' final foray into the Anatolian heartland, which he had worked so hard to defend, was a public humiliation.


title: Battle of Manzikert

text: While Manzikert was a long-term strategic catastrophe for Byzantium, it was by no means the massacre that historians earlier presumed. Modern scholars estimate that Byzantine losses were relatively low, considering that many units survived the battle intact and were fighting elsewhere within a few months, and most Byzantine prisoners of war were later released. Certainly, all the commanders on the Byzantine side (Doukas, Tarchaneiotes, Bryennios, Theodore Alyates, de Bailleul, and, above all, the Emperor) survived and took part in later events. The battle did not directly change the balance of power between the Byzantines and the Seljuks; however, the ensuing civil war within the Byzantine Empire did, to the advantage of the Seljuks.


title: Battle of Manzikert

text: Doukas had escaped without casualties and quickly marched back to Constantinople, where he led a coup against Romanos and proclaimed his cousin Michael VII as "basileus". Bryennios also lost a few men in the rout of his wing. The Seljuks did not pursue the fleeing Byzantines, nor did they recapture Manzikert itself at this point. The Byzantine army regrouped and marched to Dokeia, where they were joined by Romanos when he was released a week later. The emperor's extravagant baggage train was the most serious loss materially.


title: Battle of Manzikert

text: The result of this disastrous defeat was, in simplest terms, the loss of the Eastern Roman Empire's Anatolian heartland. John Julius Norwich says in his trilogy on the Byzantine Empire that the defeat was "its death blow, though centuries remained before the remnant fell. The themes in Anatolia were literally the heart of the empire, and within decades after Manzikert, they were gone." In his smaller book, "A Short History of Byzantium", Norwich describes the battle as "the greatest disaster suffered by the Empire in its seven and a half centuries of existence". Sir Steven Runciman, in his "History of the Crusades", noted that "The Battle of Manzikert was the most decisive disaster in Byzantine history. The Byzantines themselves had no illusions about it. Again and again, their historians refer to that dreadful day.


title: Battle of Manzikert

text: Years and decades later, Manzikert came to be seen as a disaster for the Empire; thus, later sources greatly exaggerated the number of troops and casualties. Byzantine historians would often look back and lament the "disaster" of that day, pinpointing it as the moment the decline of the Empire began. It was not an immediate disaster, but the defeat showed the Seljuks that the Byzantines were not invincible. The usurpation by Andronikos Doukas also politically destabilized the empire, and it was difficult to organize resistance to the Turkish migrations that followed the battle. Finally, while intrigue and the deposition of emperors had taken place before, the fate of Romanos was particularly horrific, and the destabilization caused by it also rippled through the empire for centuries.


title: Battle of Manzikert

text: What followed the battle was a chain of eventsof which the battle was the first linkthat undermined the Empire in the years to come. They included intrigues for the throne, the fate of Romanos, and Roussel de Bailleul attempting to carve himself an independent kingdom in Galatia with his Frankish, Norman, and German mercenaries. He defeated the Emperor's uncle John Doukas, who had come to suppress him, advancing toward the capital to destroy Chrysopolis (Üsküdar) on the Asian coast of the Bosphorus. The Empire finally turned to the Seljuks to crush de Bailleul, which they did. However, the Turks ransomed him back to his wife, and it was not before the young general Alexios Komnenos pursued him that he was captured. These events all interacted to create a vacuum that the Turks filled. Their choice to establish their capital in Nikaea (Iznik) in 1077 could be explained by a desire to see if the Empire's struggles could present new opportunities.


title: Battle of Manzikert

text: In hindsight, both Byzantine and modern historians are unanimous in dating the decline of Byzantine fortunes to this battle. As Paul K. Davis writes, "Byzantine defeat severely limited the power of the Byzantines by denying them control over Anatolia, the major recruiting ground for soldiers. Henceforth, the Muslims controlled the region. The Byzantine Empire was limited to the area immediately around Constantinople, and the Byzantines were never again a serious military force." It is also interpreted as one of the root causes for the later Crusades, in that the First Crusade of 1095 was originally a western response to the Byzantine emperor's call for military assistance after the loss of Anatolia. From another perspective, the West saw Manzikert as a signal that Byzantium was no longer capable of being the protector of Eastern Christianity or of Christian pilgrims to the Holy Places in the Middle East. Delbrück considers the battle's importance exaggerated, but the evidence makes clear that it resulted in the Empire's inability to put an effective army into the field for many years.


title: Battle of Manzikert

text: The Battle of Myriokephalon, also known as the Myriocephalum, has been compared to the Battle of Manzikert as a pivotal point in the decline of the Byzantine Empire. In both battles, separated by over a hundred years, a more elusive Seljuk opponent ambushed a large Byzantine army. However, the implications of Myriocephalum were initially limited, thanks to Manuel I Komnenos holding on to power. The same could not be said of Romanos, whose enemies "martyred a courageous and upright man", and as a result "the Empire ... would never recover".


title: Battle of Manzikert

text: In the aftermath of the battle, Norman soldiers who had served in the Byzantine armies spread tales about the defeat and likely inspired an episode in the Chanson de Roland in which the amirant of Babylon, Baligant, fights Charlemagne and is defeated only through the aid of Saint Gabriel.


title: Battle of Manzikert

text: The largest mosque in Turkey, the Çamlıca Mosque of Istanbul, has four minarets that span , a measurement that refers to the Battle of Manzikert (1071). In 2018, Turkey's ruling AKP announced their future agenda for 2023, 2053 and 2071 targets: 100th anniversary of the republic, 600th anniversary of conquest of Istanbul and 1000th anniversary of battle of Manzikert, respectively.


title: Battle of Manzikert

text: "Crusade of Kings", a game supplement, covers the battle extensively, and claims the following conversation took place between Alp Arslan and Romanos:


title: Zeeko Zaki

text: Zakaria Sherif Zaki (born January 18, 1990), commonly known as Zeeko Zaki (), is an Egyptian-born American actor best known for his role portraying Special Agent Omar Adom "O. A." Zidan on Dick Wolf's "FBI".


title: Zeeko Zaki

text: Zaki was born in Alexandria, Egypt, and emigrated with his parents Emon and Sherif Zaki to the United States at one month of age. Zaki's maternal grandparents emigrated to the US before he and his parents arrived. His extended family remained in Egypt. During his childhood Zaki spent summers in his hometown and his aunt has a villa in Agami Region where he and his relatives gather. He grew up in West Chester, Pennsylvania. His mother manages a salon in Wilmington, Delaware and his father is a stylist. Zaki has two younger siblings, a brother, Zeyad and a sister, Zeina.


title: Zeeko Zaki

text: He discovered a passion for acting during his freshman year high school performance of "Seussical" at Unionville High School; he graduated from Unionville High School. He also acted in the community theatre group Unionville Players. He briefly attended Temple University.


title: Zeeko Zaki

text: In 2010 Zaki moved to North Carolina working in theater before auditioning for television roles. He appeared in bit part roles in various films and television series before landing recurring roles in "Six" and "", portraying antagonists, and in "Valor", in which he portrayed a door gunner of a U.S. Army special operations aviation unit. Zaki was cast in his first lead role playing Agent Zidan in Dick Wolf's procedural show "FBI". The role was originally written for a Latino actor but Wolf was impressed by Zaki's audition tape and changed the character's ethnicity to mirror Zaki's background.


title: Zeeko Zaki

text: Zaki said that he wants to prove to the world that Muslims and Arabs aren't terrorists as is commonly believed.


title: Electricity sector in India

text: During the fiscal year (FY) 2019–20, the total electricity generation in the country was 1,598 TWh, of which 1,383.5 TWh generated by utilities.


title: Electricity sector in India

text: In FY2015, electric energy consumption in agriculture was recorded as being the highest (17.89%) worldwide.


title: Electricity sector in India

text: The per capita electricity consumption is low compared to most other countries despite India having a low electricity tariff.


title: Electricity sector in India

text: Renewable power plants, which also include large hydroelectric power plants, constitute 40.4% of the total installed capacity.


title: Electricity sector in India

text: India has a surplus power generation capacity but lacks adequate fuel supply and power distribution infrastructure.


title: Electricity sector in India

text: India's electricity sector is dominated by fossil fuels, in particular coal, which produced about three-quarters of the country's electricity.


title: Electricity sector in India

text: The government is making efforts to increase investment in renewable energy. The government's draft National Electricity Plan of 2022 states that the country does not need anymore fossil fuel power plants in the utility sector until 2027 besides those currently under construction.


title: Electricity sector in India

text: It is expected that non-fossil fuel generation contribution is likely to be around 44.7% of the total gross electricity generation by 2029–30.


title: Electricity sector in India

text: The first demonstration of electric light in Calcutta (now Kolkata) was conducted on 24 July 1879 by P.W. Fleury & Co. On 7 January 1897, Kilburn & Co secured the Calcutta electric lighting license as agents of the Indian Electric Co, which was registered in London on 15 January 1897. A month later, the company was renamed the Calcutta Electric Supply Corporation. The control of the company was transferred from London to Calcutta only in 1970. The introduction of electricity in Calcutta was a success, and power was next introduced in Bombay (now Mumbai). The first electric lighting demonstration in Mumbai was in 1882 at Crawford Market and the Bombay Electric Supply & Tramways Company (BEST) set up a generating station in 1905 to provide electricity for the tramway.


title: Electricity sector in India

text: The first hydroelectric installation in India was installed near a tea estate at Sidrapong for the Darjeeling Municipality in 1897. The first electric street light in Asia was lit on 5 August 1905 in Bangalore. The first electric train in the country ran on the Harbour Line between Bombay's Victoria Terminus and Kurla on 3 February 1925. The first high-voltage laboratory of India was established at the Government Engineering College, Jabalpur in 1947. On 18 August 2015, Cochin International Airport became the world's first fully solar powered airport with the inauguration of a dedicated solar plant.


title: Electricity sector in India

text: India began using grid management on a regional basis in the 1960s. Individual State grids were interconnected to form 5 regional grids covering mainland India, the Northern, Eastern, Western, North Eastern and Southern Grids. These regional links were established to enable transmission of surplus electricity between states in each region. In the 1990s, the Indian government began planning for a national grid. Regional grids were initially interconnected by asynchronous high-voltage direct current (HVDC) back-to-back links facilitating the limited exchange of regulated power. The links were subsequently upgraded to high capacity synchronous links.


title: Electricity sector in India

text: The first interconnection of regional grids was established in October 1991 when the North Eastern and Eastern grids were interconnected. The Western Grid was interconnected with these grids in March 2003. The Northern grid was also interconnected in August 2006, forming a Central Grid that was synchronously connected and operating at one frequency. The sole remaining regional grid, the Southern Grid, was synchronously interconnected to the Central Grid on 31 December 2013 with the commissioning of the 765 kV Raichur-Solapur transmission line, establishing the National Grid.


title: Electricity sector in India

text: By the end of the calendar year 2015, despite poor hydroelectricity generation, India had become a power surplus nation with huge power generation capacity idling for want of demand. The calendar year 2016 started with steep falls in the international price of energy commodities such as coal, diesel oil, naphtha, bunker fuel, and liquefied natural gas (LNG), which are used in electricity generation in India. As a result of the global glut in petroleum products, these fuels became cheap enough to compete with pit head coal-based power generators. Coal prices have also fallen. Low demand for coal has led to coal stocks building up at power stations as well as coal mines. New installations of renewable energy in India surpassed installations of fossil fuel for the first time in 2016–17.


title: Electricity sector in India

text: On 29 March 2017, the Central Electricity Authority (CEA) stated that for the first time India has become a net exporter of electricity. India exported 5,798 GWh to neighboring countries, against a total import of 5,585 GWh.


title: Electricity sector in India

text: The Government of India launched a program called "Power for All" in 2016. The program was accomplished by December 2018 in providing the necessary infrastructure to ensure uninterrupted electricity supply to all households, industries, and commercial establishments. Funding was made through a collaboration between the Government of India and its constituent states.


title: Electricity sector in India

text: The total installed power generation capacity is the sum of utility capacity, captive power capacity, and other non-utilities.


title: Electricity sector in India

text: Nearly 32,285 MW coal and gas based thermal power projects are under construction as on 1 April 2021.


title: Electricity sector in India

text: The total installed utility power generation capacity as on 30 September 2022 by type is given below.


title: Electricity sector in India

text: Hydroelectric power plants with ≤ 25 MW generation capacity are included in Renewable category (classified as SHP – Small Hydro Project)


title: Electricity sector in India

text: The installed captive power generation capacity (above 1 MW capacity) associated with industry-owned plants is 70,000 MW as of 31 March 2021. In fiscal year 2020–21, captive power generation was 200,000 GWh. Diesel power generation sets of 75,000 MW capacity (excluding sets of size above 1 MW and below 100 kVA) are also installed in the country. In addition, there are a large number of diesel generators of capacity less than 100 kVA to cater to emergency power needs during power outages in all sectors.


title: Electricity sector in India

text: Other Renewable Energy sources include SHP (Small Hydro Power – hydel plants ≤ 25 MW), Biomass Power, Urban & Industrial waste, Solar and Wind Energy


title: Electricity sector in India

text: During the fiscal year 2019–20, the utility energy availability was 1,284.44 billion KWh, a shortfall relative to requirements by 6.5 billion KWh (−0.5%). Peak load met was 182,533 MW, 1,229 MW (−0.6%) below requirements. In the 2020 Load Generation Balance report, India's Central Electricity Authority anticipated energy surplus and peak surplus to be 2.7% and 9.1%, respectively, for the 2020–21 fiscal year. Power would be made available to few states expected to face shortages from states with a surplus, through regional transmission links. From the calendar year 2015 onwards, power generation in India has been less of a problem than power distribution.


title: Electricity sector in India

text: Nearly 0.07% of Indian households (0.2 million) have no access to electricity. The International Energy Agency estimates India will add between 600 GW to 1,200 GW of additional new power generation capacity before 2050. This added new capacity is similar in scale to the 740 GW total power generation capacity of the European Union (EU-27) in 2005. The technologies and fuel sources India adopts as it adds this electricity generation capacity may have a significant impact on global resource usage and environmental issues. The demand for electricity for cooling (HVAC) is projected to grow rapidly.


title: Electricity sector in India

text: According to the analysis presented in the India Cooling Action Plan (ICAP) released by the Ministry of Environment, Forests and Climate Change, only 8 percent of Indian households own air-conditioning units. The cooling demand across India is projected to rise at a rate of 15-20 percent annually and aggregated cooling demand will grow to around eight times by 2037-38, as compared to the 2017-18 baseline. In India, 45 percent of the country’s peak electricity demand in 2050 is expected to come from space cooling alone.


title: Electricity sector in India

text: About 136 million Indians (11%) use traditional fuels – firewood, agricultural waste and dry animal dung fuel – for cooking and general heating needs. These traditional fuels are burnt in cook stoves, sometimes known as "chulah" or "chulha". Traditional fuel is an inefficient source of energy, and its burning releases high levels of smoke, PM10 particulate matter, , , PAHs, polyaromatics, formaldehyde, carbon monoxide and other air pollutants, affecting outdoor air quality, haze and smog, chronic health problems, damage to forests, ecosystems and global climate. The World Health Organization estimates that 300,000 to 400,000 people in India die of indoor air pollution and carbon monoxide poisoning every year because of biomass burning and use of chulahs. Burning traditional fuel in conventional cook stoves is estimated to release 5–15x more pollutants than industrial combustion of coal, and is unlikely to be replaced until electricity or clean-burning fuel and combustion technologies become reliably available and widely adopted in rural and urban India. The growth of the electricity sector in India may help find a sustainable alternative to traditional fuel burning.


title: Electricity sector in India

text: In addition to air pollution problems, a 2007 study finds that discharge of untreated sewage is the single most important cause for pollution of surface and groundwater in India. The majority of government-owned sewage treatment plants remain closed most of the time in part because of the lack of a reliable electricity supply to operate the plants. Uncollected waste accumulates in urban areas, causing unhygienic conditions, and release heavy metals and pollutants that leaches to surface and groundwater. A reliable supply of electricity is required to address India's water pollution and associated environmental issues.


title: Electricity sector in India

text: Other drivers for India's electricity sector are its rapidly growing economy, rising exports, improving infrastructure and increasing household incomes.


title: Electricity sector in India

text: Adding to it, the recent coal crisis has raised an alarm as over 60 per cent of the electricity produced in the country is derived from thermal power plants, and thus, depend on coal.


title: Electricity sector in India

text: <nowiki>*</nowiki> Data from fiscal year ending on 31 March of each year.** Refers to fiscal year ending on 31 December.


title: Electricity sector in India

text: Note: Per Capita Consumption=(gross electricity generation by all sources plus net import) / mid year population. 'Consumption' is 'gross electricity generation by all sources plus net import' after subtracting transmission loses and auxiliary consumption in electricity generation.


title: Electricity sector in India

text: The per capita annual domestic electricity consumption in India during the year 2009 was 96 kWh in rural areas and 288 kWh in urban areas for those with access to electricity. Globally the per capita annual average is 2,600 kWh and in the European Union it is 6,200 kWh.


title: Electricity sector in India

text: India's Ministry of Power launched "Deen Dayal Upadhyaya Gram Jyoti Yojana" (DDUGJY) as one of its flagship programmes in July 2015 with the objective of providing round the clock power to rural areas. The programe focused on reforms in the rural power sector by separating feeder lines for rural households from those for agricultural applications, and strengthening transmission and distribution infrastructure. A previous scheme for rural electrification, "Rajiv Gandhi Grameen Vidyutikaran Yojana" (RGGVY) was subsumed into the new scheme. As of 28 April 2018, 12 days ahead of the target date, all Indian villages (a total of 597,464 census villages) were electrified.


title: Electricity sector in India

text: India has also achieved close to 100% electrification of all rural and urban households. As of 4 January 2019, 211.88 million rural households were provided with electricity, close to 100% of the 212.65 million total rural households. As of 4 January 2019, 42.937 million urban households are provided with electricity, close to 100% of the 42.941 million total urban households.


title: Electricity sector in India

text: Nearly a 24% difference between sales and gross generation due to auxiliary power consumption of thermal power plants and transmission and distribution (T&D) losses, etc.


title: Electricity sector in India

text: India has recorded rapid growth in electricity generation since 1985, increasing from 179 TW-hr in 1985 to 1,057 TW-hr in 2012. The majority of the increase came from coal-fired plants and non-conventional renewable energy sources (RES), with the contribution from natural gas, oil, and hydro plants decreasing in 2012–2017. The gross utility electricity generation (excluding imports from Bhutan) was 1,384 billion kWh in 2019–20, representing 1.0% annual growth compared to 2018–2019. The contribution from renewable energy sources was nearly 20% of the total. In 2019–20, all the incremental electricity generation is contributed by renewable energy sources as the power generation from fossil fuels decreased. During the year 2020–2021, the utility power generation has decreased by 0.8% (11.3 billion kWh) with a reduction in power generation from fossil fuels by 1% and power generation from non-fossil sources is more or less same of the previous year. In 2020–21, India exported more electricity than it imported from neighboring countries. Solar power generation in 2020–21, occupied third place after coal and hydropower generations surpassing wind, gas and nuclear power generations.


title: Electricity sector in India

text: Notes: Coal includes lignite; Misc: includes contributions from emergency diesel generator sets, roof top solar, captive power generation from below 1 MW capacity plants, etc.; Hydro includes pumped storage generation; na = data not available.


title: Electricity sector in India

text: In India the Commercial Energy makes 74% of total energy, of which coal based energy production is around 72–75%, as per 2020 data. For utility power generation, India consumed 622.22 million tons of coal during 2019–20 which is less by 1% compared to 628.94 million tons during 2018–19. However coal imports for utility power generation increased by 12.3% during year 2019–20 at 69.22 million tons from 61.66 million tons during 2018–19. A large part of the Indian coal reserve is similar to Gondwana coal: it is of low calorific value and high ash content, with poor fuel value. On average, Indian coal has a gross calorific value (GCV) of about 4500 Kcal/kg, whereas in Australia, for example, the GCV is about 6500 Kcal/kg . The result is that Indian power plants using India's coal supply consume about 0.7 kg of coal per kWh of power generation, whereas in the United States thermal power plants consume about 0.45 kg of coal per kWh. In 2017, India imported nearly 130 Mtoe (nearly 200 million tons) of steam coal and coking coal, 29% of total consumption, to meet the demand in electricity, cement and steel production.


title: Electricity sector in India

text: The Centre for Science and Environment has assessed the Indian coal-based power sector as one of the most resource-wasteful and polluting sectors in the world, in part due to the high ash content in India's coal. India's Ministry of Environment and Forests has therefore mandated the use of coals whose ash content has been reduced to 34% (or lower) in power plants in urban, ecologically sensitive and other critically polluted areas. The coal ash reduction industry has grown rapidly in India, with current capacity topping 90 megatonnes.


title: Electricity sector in India

text: Before a thermal power plant is approved for construction and commissioning in India it must undergo an extensive review process that includes environmental impact assessment. The Ministry of Environment and Forests has produced a technical guidance manual to help project proposers avoid environmental pollution from thermal power plants. As of 2016, the existing coal-fired power stations in the utility and captive power sectors were estimated to require nearly 12.5 million INR per MW capacity to install pollution control equipment to comply with the latest emission norms set out by the Ministry of Environment and Forests. Most of the coal fired stations have not complied installation of flue gas de-sulphurisation units for reducing the pollution. In April 2020, CPCB declared that over 42,000 MW thermal power plants have outlived their lives. India has also banned imports of pet coke for use as fuel. As a signatory to the Paris Agreement, India is also reducing power generation from coal to control the emission of greenhouse gases.


title: Electricity sector in India

text: The state and central power generation companies are permitted by the Government of India to minimize the cost of coal transportation using flexible coal linkage swaps from inefficient plants to efficient plants, and from plants situated far from coal mines to plants close to the pit head, leading to a reduction in the cost of power. Although coal imports for consumption in the utility sector are declining, the overall imports of steam coal are increasing as the local coal production is unable to meet the requirements of coal-fired captive power plants. India is introducing single spot auctions/exchanges for all type of coal consumers.


title: Electricity sector in India

text: India's coal-fired, oil-fired and natural gas-fired thermal power plants are inefficient and replacing them with cheaper renewable technologies offers significant potential for greenhouse gas (CO) emission reduction. India's thermal power plants emit 50% to 120% more CO per kWh produced compared to average emissions from their European Union (EU-27) counterparts. The central government plans to retire coal-based plants that are at least 25 years old and contributing excessive pollution, totalling 11,000 MW of capacity. As of 2018 there is no similar retirement plan for the captive power sector. In 2020 Carbon Tracker estimated that phasing out 20 years or more old coal-fired plants and the coal fired plants under construction with electricity sale price exceeding INR 4/kWh with new renewables is more economical as these coal fired plants are imposing heavy financial burden on Discoms.


title: Electricity sector in India

text: Some diesel generator plants and gas turbine plants were also decommissioned in 2016 though they are best suitable for catering ancillary services.


title: Electricity sector in India

text: India has committed to install 275,000 MW renewable energy capacity by 2027. The existing base load coal and gas based power plants need to be flexible enough to accommodate the variable renewable energy. Also ramping up, ramping down, warm start up, hot start up capabilities of existing coal based power stations are critical to accommodate the frequent variations in renewable power generation. It is also examined to use the retired coal based electric generators as synchronous condensers for improving the grid inertia when it is dominated by static power generation sources like solar and wind power. As the solar power plants remain idle during the night hours, reactive power capability of the inverters installed as part of the solar power plant can also be used during the night time for solving the problem of very high voltage which occurs due to low loads on the transmission lines.


title: Electricity sector in India

text: The installed capacity of natural gas-based power plants (including the plants ready to be commissioned with the commencement of natural gas supply) was nearly 26,765 MW at the end of the financial year 2014–15. These plants were operating at an overall plant load factor (PLF) of 22% due to a severe shortage of natural gas in the country, and the fact that imported liquid natural gas (LNG) was too expensive for power generation. Many power stations were shut down throughout the year for a lack of natural gas supply. The natural gas shortage for power sector alone was nearly 100 million cubic metre per day at standard conditions. The break-even price for switching from imported coal to LNG in electricity generation was estimated to be approximately US (thermal energy). The Indian government has taken steps to enhance power generation from gas-based power plants by waiving import duties and taxes.


title: Electricity sector in India

text: Gasification of coal or lignite or pet coke or biomass produces synthetic natural gas or syngas (also known as coal gas or wood gas) which is a mixture of hydrogen, carbon monoxide and carbon dioxide gases. Coal gas can be converted into synthetic natural gas by using the Fischer–Tropsch process at low pressure and high temperature. Coal gas can also be produced by underground coal gasification if the coal deposits are located deep in the ground or it is uneconomical to mine the coal. Synthetic natural gas production technologies promise to dramatically improve India's supply of natural gas. The Dankuni coal complex produces syngas that is piped to industrial users in Calcutta. Many coal-based fertiliser plants can also be economically retrofitted to produce synthetic natural gas. It is estimated that the production cost for syngas could be below US.


title: Electricity sector in India

text: Earlier, natural gas use in power generation was thought to be a bridge fuel as it emits far less CO (below 50%) when compared to coal use in power generation until renewable power generation without CO emissions become economical. Renewable power generation is already cheaper than coal and gas fueled power generation in India. Now the bridge fuel concept is no more valid and existing gas-based generation needs to compete with the coal-based generation when there is no adequate renewable power generation (including storage and peaking type hydropower). The problem of stranded assets/capacity is more deep-rooted for gas-based power plants than that of the coal-based power plants as coal is far cheaper than natural gas in India.


title: Electricity sector in India

text: On 12 August 2021, India's grid-connected electricity generation capacity reached 100 GW from non-conventional renewable technologies and 46.21 GW from conventional renewable power or major hydroelectric power plants.As of 12 August 2021, there are about 50 GW of projects under development, and 27 GW that are tendered and yet to be auctioned.


title: Electricity sector in India

text: The hydro-electric power plants at Darjeeling and Shivanasamudra were among the first in Asia, and were established in 1898 and 1902 respectively.


title: Electricity sector in India

text: India's potential for hydropower has been assessed to be about 125,570 MW at a 60% load factor. India is ranked fourth globally by underutilized hydropower potential. The estimated amount of viable hydropower varies with improved technology and the cost of electricity generation from other sources. In addition, there is an estimated 6,740 MW of potential for small, mini, and micro-hydro generators and 56 sites for pumped storage schemes with an aggregate installed capacity of 94,000 MW have been identified. In 2020, the power tariff from Solar PV clubbed with pumped storage hydro have fallen below the coal-based power plant tariffs in offering base load and peak load power supply.


title: Electricity sector in India

text: The installed hydropower capacity as of 31 March 2018 was approximately 45,293 MW, 13.17% of the total installed utility capacity at the time. Small, mini, and micro-hydro generators add another 4,486 MW capacity. The share of this sector operated by public companies is 97%. Companies engaged in the development of hydroelectric power in India include the National Hydroelectric Power Corporation (NHPC), Northeast Electric Power Company (NEEPCO), Satluj Jal Vidyut Nigam (SJVNL), Tehri Hydro Development Corporation, and NTPC-Hydro.


title: Electricity sector in India

text: Pumped storage schemes offer the potential for centralized peak power stations for load management in the electricity grid. They also produce secondary /seasonal power at no additional cost when rivers are flooding with excess water. Storing electricity by alternative systems such as batteries, compressed air storage systems, etc. is more costly than electricity production by standby generator. India has already established nearly 4,785 MW pumped storage capacity as part of its installed hydro power plants.


title: Electricity sector in India

text: The solar energy sector in India offers potentially enormous capacity, though little of this potential has so far been exploited. Solar radiation of about 5,000 trillion kWh per year is incident over India's land mass, with average daily solar power potential of 0.25 kWh/m of used land area with available commercially proven technologies. As of 31 December 2019, the installed capacity was 33.73 GW, or 2% of utility electricity generation.


title: Electricity sector in India

text: Solar power plants require nearly land per MW capacity, which is similar to coal-fired power plants when life cycle coal mining, consumptive water storage and ash disposal areas are taken into account, and hydropower plants when the submergence area of the water reservoir is included. Solar plants with 1.33 million MW capacity could be installed in India on 1% of its land (32,000 square km). Large tracts of land that are unproductive, barren and devoid of vegetation exist in all parts of India, exceeding 8% of its total area. These are potentially suitable for solar power. It has been estimated that if 32,000 square km of these wastelands were used for solar power generation,2,000 billion kWh of electricity could be produced, twice the total power generated in 2013–14. At a price of 4 Rs/kWh, this would result in a land annual productivity/yield of per acre, which compares favorably with many industrial areas and is many times more than the best productive irrigated agriculture lands. Building solar power plants on marginally productive lands offers the potential for solar electricity to replace all of India's fossil fuel energy requirements (natural gas, coal, lignite, and crude oil), and could offer per capita energy consumption at par with USA/Japan for the peak population expected during its demographic transition.


title: Electricity sector in India

text: The sale price of power generated by solar photovoltaics fell to per kWh in November 2020 which is lower than any other type of power generation in India. In the same year, the levelised tariff in US$ for solar electricity fell to 1.31 cents/kWh, far below the solar PV sale tariff in India. In 2020, the power tariff from Solar PV clubbed with pumped storage hydro or battery storage have fallen below the coal based power plant tariffs in offering base load and peak load power supply.


title: Electricity sector in India

text: Land acquisition is a challenge for solar farm projects in India. Some state governments are exploring innovative ways to address land availability, for example, by deploying solar capacity above irrigation canals. This allows solar energy to be harvested while simultaneously reducing the loss of irrigation water by solar evaporation. The state of Gujarat was first to implement the Canal Solar Power Project, using solar panels on a long network of Narmada canals across the state to generate electricity. It was the first such project in India.


title: Electricity sector in India

text: A major disadvantage of solar power is that it produces electricity only in daylight, and not during nighttime or cloudy daytime. This disadvantage can be overcome by installing grid storage, such as pumped-storage hydroelectricity. A proposed large-scale engineering project to interlink Indian rivers envisages coastal reservoirs for harnessing river waters that would also create pumped-storage hydropower capacity for use on daily basis by consuming the surplus solar power available during the day time. Existing and future hydropower stations can also be expanded with additional pumped-storage hydroelectricity units to cater for nighttime electricity consumption. Most of the groundwater pumping power required can be met directly by solar power during the daytime.


title: Electricity sector in India

text: Concentrated solar power plants with thermal storage are also emerging as cheaper (US 5¢/kWh) and cleaner Load following power plants than fossil fuel power plants. They can respond to demand round the clock, and work as base load power plants when there is excess solar energy. A mix of solar thermal and solar photovoltaic plants offers the potential to match load fluctuations without requiring costly battery storage.


title: Electricity sector in India

text: India has the fourth largest installed wind power capacity in the world. The development of wind power in India began in the 1990s in Tamil Nadu and significantly increased in the last decade. As of 31 August 2022, the installed capacity of wind power was 41.205 GW, spread across many states of India. The largest wind power generating state is Tamil Nadu, accounting for nearly 23% of installed capacity, followed in decreasing order by Gujarat, Maharashtra, Rajasthan and Karnataka.


title: Electricity sector in India

text: In 2015–16, wind power accounted for 8.5% of India's total installed power capacity, and 2.5% of the country's power output. India aims to install a total 60 GW of wind power capacity by 2022. The wind power tariff of around 2.5 INR/kWh is the cheapest of all power generation sources in India.


title: Electricity sector in India

text: The offshore wind power potential of India is nearly 112 GW up to 50 metres water depth and nearly 195 GW up to 1000 metres water depth. As of August 2022, no offshore wind power installation is under construction or in operation. The levelised cost of electricity (LCOE) has fallen to US$ 50 per MWh for offshore wind power plants.


title: Electricity sector in India

text: Biomass is organic matter from living organisms. As a renewable energy source, biomass can either be used directly via combustion to produce heat, or indirectly after converting it to various forms of biofuel using a range of methods which are broadly classified into thermal, chemical, and biochemical methods. Biomass, bagasse, forestry, domestic organic wastes, industrial organic wastes, organic residue from biogas plants, and agricultural residue and waste can all be used as fuel to produce electricity. Nearly 750 million tons of biomass that is not edible by cattle is available annually in India.


title: Electricity sector in India

text: The total use of biomass to produce heat in India was nearly 177 Mtoe in 2013. 20% of households in India use biomass and charcoal for cooking purposes. This traditional use of biomass is being replaced by liquefied petroleum gas in rural areas, resulting in increased burning of biomass in fields, This has become a major source of air pollution in nearby towns and cities.


title: Electricity sector in India

text: Large quantities of imported coal are being used in pulverised coal-fired power stations. Raw biomass cannot be used directly in the pulverised coal mills as it is difficult to grind into fine powder due to caking. However, torrefaction makes it possible for biomass to replace coal. The hot flue gas of existing coal-fired power stations can be used as a heat source for torrefaction, so that biomass can be cofired with coal. Surplus agriculture/crop residue biomass is beginning to be used for this purpose. Instead of shutting down/ retirement of coal-fired power plants due to concerns over pollution, it has been argued that these units can be retrofitted economically to produce electricity from biomass. Biomass contains substantial oxygen and lesser ash to make retrofitting of old units less capital intensive. Biomass power plants can also sell Renewable Energy Certificates, increasing their profitability. Cofiring of biomass up to 10% with coal in existing pulverised coal-fired power stations is successfully implemented in India. Central Government has made cofiring (minimum 5%) of biomass mandatary from October 2022 in all coal fired plants.


title: Electricity sector in India

text: In 2011, India started a new initiative to demonstrate the utility of medium-size mixed feed biogas-fertiliser pilot plants. The government approved 21 projects with an aggregate capacity of 37,016 cubic metres per day, of which 2 projects were successfully commissioned by December 2011. India commissioned a further 158 projects under its Biogas-based Distributed/Grid Power Generation programme, with a total installed capacity of about 2 MW. In 2018, India has set a target of producing 15 million tons of biogas/bio-CNG by installing 5,000 large scale commercial type biogas plants which can produce daily 12.5 tons of bio-CNG by each plant. Rejected organic solids from biogas plants can be used in coal plants after torrefaction.


title: Electricity sector in India

text: Biogas is primarily methane, and can also be used to generate protein rich feed for cattle, poultry and fish by growing "Methylococcus capsulatus", a bacterium that grows directly on methane. This can be done economically in villages with low requirements for land and water. The carbon dioxide gas produced as a by-product from these units can be used in cheaper production of algae oil or spirulina from algae cultivation, which may eventually substitute for crude oil. Using biogas for protein-rich feed production is also eligible for carbon credits as this sequesters carbon from the atmosphere. There is significant potential to extract useful biomass from breweries, textile mills, fertiliser plants, the paper and pulp industry, solvent extraction units, rice mills, petrochemical plants and other industries.


title: Electricity sector in India

text: The government is exploring several ways to use agro waste or biomass in rural areas to improve the rural economy. For example, biomass gasifier technologies are being explored to produce power from surplus biomass resources such as rice husk, crop stalks, small wood chips and other agro-residues in rural areas. The largest biomass-based power plant in India at Sirohi, Rajasthan has a capacity of 20 MW. During 2011, India installed 25 rice husk based gasifier systems for distributed power generation in 70 remote villages of Bihar, including a total of 1.20 MW in Gujarat and 0.5 MW in Tamil Nadu. In addition, gasifier systems were installed at 60 rice mills in India.


title: Electricity sector in India

text: India's geothermal energy installed capacity is experimental, and commercial use is insignificant. According to some estimates, India has 10,600 MW of geothermal energy available. The resource map for India has been grouped into six geothermal provinces:


title: Electricity sector in India

text: India has about 340 hot springs spread over the country. Of these, 62 are distributed along the northwest Himalaya, in the states of Jammu and Kashmir, Himachal Pradesh and Uttarakhand. They are found concentrated in a 30-50-km wide thermal band mostly along the river valleys. The Naga-Lusai and West Coast Provinces also manifest a series of thermal springs. The Andaman and Nicobar arc is the only place in India where volcanic activity continues, potentially a good site for geothermal energy. The Cambay geothermal belt is 200 km long and 50 km wide, with Tertiary sediments. Thermal springs have been reported from the belt although they are not of very high temperature or flow levels. High subsurface temperature and thermal fluid have been reported in deep drill wells in depth ranges of 1.7 to 1.9  km during drilling in this area. Steam blowout has also been reported in drill holes in a depth range of 1.5 to 3.4  km. The thermal springs in India's peninsular region are more related to the faults, which allow water to circulate to considerable depths. The circulating water acquires heat from the normal thermal gradient in the area, and can emerge at a high temperature.


title: Electricity sector in India

text: In a December 2011 report, India identified six promising geothermal sites for the development of geothermal energy. In decreasing order of potential, these are:


title: Electricity sector in India

text: Puga and Chumathang area in Ladakh are deemed as the most promising geothermal fields in India. These areas were discovered in 1970s and initial exploratory efforts were made in the 1980s by Geological Survey of India (GSI). On 6 February 2021, the ONGC Energy Center (OEC) signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with Ladakh and the Ladakh Autonomous Hill Development Council, Leh in the presence of current Lieutenant governor Radha Krishna Mathur.


title: Electricity sector in India

text: Tidal power, also called tidal energy, is a form of hydropower that converts energy obtained from tides into useful forms of power, mainly electricity. Local effects such as shelving, funneling, reflection and resonance can increase the potential of tidal energy in certain regions.


title: Electricity sector in India

text: India's potential to harness tidal energy is significant. Energy can be extracted from tides in several ways. In one method, a reservoir is created behind a barrier, or barrage, and tidal waters are allowed to pass through turbines in the barrier to generate electricity. This method requires mean tidal differences greater than 4 metres and favourable topographical conditions to keep installation costs low. The Gulf of Khambhat and the Gulf of Kutch on India's west coast, with maximum tidal ranges of 11 m and 8 m, respectively, and an average tidal range of 6.77 m and 5.23 m, are promising sites for this type of technology. The Ganges Delta in the Sundarbans, West Bengal is another possibility, although it offers significantly less recoverable energy; the maximum tidal range in Sunderbans is approximately 5 m with an average tidal range of 2.97 m. It is estimated that barrage technology could harvest about 8 GW from tidal energy in India, primarily in Gujarat. The barrage approach has several disadvantages, however, one being that a badly engineered barrage can have significant negative effects on migratory fishes, marine ecosystems and aquatic life. Integrated barrage technology plants can also be expensive to build. In December 2011, the Ministry of New & Renewable Energy, Government of India and the Renewable Energy Development Agency of West Bengal jointly approved and agreed to implement India's first 3.75 MW Durgaduani mini tidal power project.


title: Electricity sector in India

text: Another tidal wave technology harvests energy from surface waves or from pressure fluctuations below the sea surface. A report from the Ocean Engineering Centre, at the Indian Institute of Technology Madras estimated the annual wave energy potential along the Indian coast is 5 to 15 MW/metre, suggesting a theoretical maximum potential for electricity harvesting along India's 7500-kilometer coastline of about 40 GW. However, the realistic economical potential is likely to be considerably less than this. A significant barrier to surface energy harvesting is that its equipment may interfere with fishing and other sea-bound vessels, particularly in unsettled weather. India built its first surface energy harvesting technology demonstration plant in Vizhinjam, near Thiruvananthapuram.


title: Electricity sector in India

text: The third approach to harvesting tidal energy is ocean thermal energy technology. This approach harvests the solar energy trapped in ocean waters. Oceans have a thermal gradient, the surface being much warmer than the deeper levels of the ocean. This thermal gradient may be harvested using the modified Rankine cycle. India's National Institute of Ocean Technology (NIOT) has attempted this approach without success. In 2003, NIOT attempted to build and deploy a 1 MW demonstration plant with Saga University of Japan, but mechanical problems prevented success. After initial tests near Kerala, the unit was scheduled for redeployment and further development in the Lakshadweep Islands in 2005.


title: Electricity sector in India

text: As of 31 March 2022, India had 6.78 GW of installed nuclear power generation capacity or nearly 1.7% of the total installed utility power generation capacity. Nuclear plants generated 47,063 million kWh at 79.24% PLF in 2021–22.


title: Electricity sector in India

text: India's nuclear power plant development began in 1964. India signed an agreement with General Electric (United States) for the construction and commissioning of two boiling water reactors at Tarapur. In 1967, this effort was placed under India's Department of Atomic Energy. In 1971, India set up its first pressurized heavy water reactors with Canadian collaboration in Rajasthan.


title: Electricity sector in India

text: In 1987, India created the Nuclear Power Corporation of India Limited to commercialize nuclear power. The Nuclear Power Corporation of India is a public sector enterprise, wholly owned by the Government of India, under the administrative control of the Department of Atomic Energy. The state-owned company has ambitious plans to establish plants totalling to 63 GW generation capacity by 2032.


title: Electricity sector in India

text: India's nuclear power generation effort is subject to many safeguards and oversights. Its environmental management system is ISO-14001 certified, and it undergoes peer review by the World Association of Nuclear Operators, including a pre-start-up peer review. The Nuclear Power Corporation of India Limited commented in its annual report for 2011 that its biggest challenge is to address public and policymaker perceptions about the safety of nuclear power, particularly after the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear disaster in Japan.


title: Electricity sector in India

text: In 2011, India had 18 pressurized heavy water reactors in operation, with another four projects launched totaling 2.8 GW capacity. India is in the process of launching its first prototype fast breeder reactor using plutonium-based fuel obtained by reprocessing the spent fuel of first-stage reactors. The prototype reactor is located in Tamil Nadu and has a capacity of 500 MW.


title: Electricity sector in India

text: India has nuclear power plants operating in the following states: Maharashtra, Gujarat, Rajasthan, Uttar Pradesh, Tamil Nadu and Karnataka. These reactors have an installed electricity generation capacity of between 100 MW and 1000 MW each. The Kudankulam nuclear power plant (KNPP) is the single largest nuclear power station in India. KNPP Unit 1 with a capacity of 1000 MWe was commissioned in July 2013, while Unit 2, also with a capacity of 1000 MWe, attained criticality in 2016. Two additional units are under construction. The plant has suffered multiple shutdowns, leading to calls for an expert panel to investigate. First 700 MWe PHWR unit under phase II of Kakrapar Atomic Power Station achieved first criticality in July 2020 and expected to begin commercial operation by December 2022.


title: Electricity sector in India

text: In 2011, uranium was discovered in the Tummalapalle uranium mine, the country's largest uranium mine and possibly one of the world's largest. The reserves were estimated at 64,000 tonnes, and could be as large as 150,000 tonnes. The mine began operation in 2012.


title: Electricity sector in India

text: India's share of nuclear power plant generation capacity is 1.2% of worldwide nuclear power production capacity, making it the 15th largest nuclear power producer. India aims to supply 9% of its electricity needs with nuclear power by 2032 and 25% by 2050. Jaitapur Nuclear Power Project, India's largest nuclear power plant project, is planned to be implemented in partnership with Électricité de France under an agreement signed on 10 March 2018.


title: Electricity sector in India

text: India's government is developing up to 62 additional nuclear reactors, mostly using thorium fuel, which it expects to be operational by 2025. It is the "only country in the world with a detailed, funded, government-approved plan" to focus on thorium-based nuclear power.


title: Electricity sector in India

text: As of 2013, India has a single wide area synchronous grid that covers the entire country except distant islands.


title: Electricity sector in India

text: The total length of high voltage (HV) transmission lines (220kV and above) would be enough to form a square matrix of area 266 km (i.e. a square grid 16.3 km on a side, so that on average there is at least one HV line within a distance of 8.15 km) over the entire area of the country. This represents a total of almost 20% more HV transmission lines than that of the United States ( of 230 kV and above). However the Indian grid transmits far less electricity. The installed length of transmission lines of 66 kV and above is (on average, there is at least one ≥66 kV transmission line within 4.95 km across the country). The length of secondary transmission lines (400 V and above) is as of 31 March 2018. The spread of total transmission lines (≥400 V) would be sufficient to form a square matrix of area 0.36 km (i.e. on average, at least one transmission line within 0.31 km distance) over the entire area of the country. In a future grid dominated by decentralized power generation like solar and wind power, unscientific expansion of the electrical grid would yield negative results due to braess paradox.


title: Electricity sector in India

text: The all-time maximum peak load met was 182,610 MW on 30 May 2019. The maximum achieved demand factor of substations is nearly 60% at the 220 kV level. However, the operational performance of the system is not satisfactory in meeting peak electricity loads. This has led to the initiation of detailed forensic engineering studies, with a plan to make capital investments in a smart grid that maximises the utility of the existing transmission infrastructure.


title: Electricity sector in India

text: The introduction of an availability based tariff (ABT) originally helped to stabilize the Indian transmission grids. However, as the grid transitions to power surplus the ABT has become less useful. The July 2012 blackout, affecting the north of the country, was the largest power grid failure in history as measured by the number of people affected.


title: Electricity sector in India

text: India's aggregate transmission and commercial (ATC) losses were nearly 21.35% in 2017–18. This compares unfavorably to the total ATC loss in the electricity sector of the United States, which was only 6.6% out of 4,404 billion kWh electricity supplied during the year 2018. The Indian government set a target of reducing losses to 17.1% by 2017 and to 14.1% by 2022. A high proportion of non-technical losses are caused by illegal tapping of lines, faulty electric meters and fictitious power generation that underestimates actual consumption and also contributes to reduced payment collection. A case study in Kerala estimated that replacing faulty meters could reduce distribution losses from 34% to 29%.


title: Electricity sector in India

text: India's National Grid is synchronously interconnected to Bhutan, and asynchronously linked with Bangladesh, Myanmar and Nepal. An undersea interconnector to Sri Lanka (India–Sri Lanka HVDC Interconnection) have been proposed.


title: Electricity sector in India

text: India has been exporting electricity to Bangladesh, Myanmar and Nepal and importing excess electricity from Bhutan. In 2015, Nepal imported 224.21 MW of electric power from India, and Bangladesh imported 500MW. In 2018 Bangladesh proposed importing 10,000 MW power from India.


title: Electricity sector in India

text: The Ministry of Power is India's top union government body regulating the electrical energy sector in India. The ministry was created on 2 July 1992. It is responsible for planning, policy formulation, processing of projects for investment decisions, monitoring project implementation, training and manpower development, and the administration and enactment of legislation in regard to power generation, transmission and distribution. It is also responsible for the administration of India's Electricity Act (2003), the Energy Conservation Act (2001) and has the responsibility of undertaking amendments to these Acts when necessary to meet the union government's policy objectives.


title: Electricity sector in India

text: Electricity is a concurrent list subject at Entry 38 in List III of the Seventh Schedule of the Constitution of India. In India's federal governance structure, this means that both the union government and India's state governments are involved in establishing policies and laws for the electricity sector. This requires the union government and individual state governments to enter into memoranda of understanding to help expedite projects in the individual states. To disseminate information to the public on power purchases by the distribution companies (discoms), the government of India recently started posting data on its website on a daily basis.


title: Electricity sector in India

text: Bulk power purchasers can buy electricity on a daily basis for short, medium, and long-term durations from a reverse e-auction facility. The electricity prices transacted by the reverse e-auction facility are far less than the prices agreed under bilateral agreements. The commodity derivative exchange Multi Commodity Exchange has sought permission to offer electricity futures markets in India. The union government of India is also planning reverse procurement process in which generators and discoms with surplus power can seek e-bids for power supply for up to a one-year period, to put an end to bilateral contracts and determine the market-based price for electricity.


title: Electricity sector in India

text: Energy saving certificates (PAT), various renewable purchase obligations (RPO), and renewable energy certificates (REC) are also traded on the power exchanges regularly.


title: Electricity sector in India

text: India's Ministry of Power administers central government-owned companies involved in the generation of electricity in India. These include the National Thermal Power Corporation, Neyveli Lignite Corporation,the SJVN, the Damodar Valley Corporation, the National Hydroelectric Power Corporation and the Nuclear Power Corporation of India. The Power Grid Corporation of India is also administered by the Ministry; it is responsible for the inter-state transmission of electricity and the development of the national grid.


title: Electricity sector in India

text: The Ministry works with state governments on matters related to state government-owned corporations in India's electricity sector. Examples of state corporations include the Telangana Power Generation Corporation, the Andhra Pradesh Power Generation Corporation Limited, the Assam Power Generation Corporation Limited, the Tamil Nadu Electricity Board, the Maharashtra State Electricity Board, the Kerala State Electricity Board, the West Bengal State Electricity Distribution Company and Gujarat Urja Vikas Nigam Limited.


title: Electricity sector in India

text: India's Ministry of Power administers the Rural Electrification Corporation Limited and the Power Finance Corporation Limited. These central-government-owned public sector enterprises provide loans and guarantees for public and private electricity sector infrastructure projects in India. Excessive plant construction loans at 75% of overestimated costs on overrated plant capacities have led to stranded assets of US$40 to 60 billion. The central and state-owned power generators escaped this crisis as they had entered PPAs with state-owned monopolistic discoms on a cost-plus basis at higher than prevailing market power tariffs, without undergoing competitive bidding process. Many direct and indirect subsidies are given to various sectors.


title: Electricity sector in India

text: After the enactment of Electricity Act 2003 budgetary support to the power sector is negligible. Many State Electricity Boards were separated into their component parts after the act came into force, creating separate entities for generating, transmitting and distributing power.


title: Electricity sector in India

text: The rapid growth of the electricity sector in India has generated high demand for trained personnel. India is making efforts to expand energy education and to enable existing educational institutions to introduce courses related to energy capacity addition, production, operations and maintenance. This initiative includes conventional and renewable energy.


title: Electricity sector in India

text: The Ministry of New and Renewable Energy announced that State Renewable Energy Agencies are being supported to organize short-term training programs for installation, operation and maintenance, and repair of renewable energy systems in locations where intensive renewable energy programs are being implemented. Renewable Energy Chairs have been established at the Indian Institute of Technology Roorkee and the Indian Institute of Technology Kharagpur. The Central Training Institute Jabalpur is a training institute for power distribution engineering and management. The NTPC School of Business Noida has initiated an energy-centered two-year post-graduate diploma in the management program and a one-year post-graduate diploma in management (executive) program, to cater to the growing need for management professionals in this area. Education and availability of skilled workers are expected to be a key challenge in India's effort to expand its electricity sector.


title: Electricity sector in India

text: Key implementation challenges for India's electricity sector include efficient performance of new project management and execution, ensuring availability and appropriate quality of fuel, developing the large coal and natural gas resources available in India, land acquisition, obtaining environmental clearances at state and central government level, and training skilled manpower.


title: Electricity sector in India

text: India's net import of liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) is 6.093 million tons and the domestic consumption is 13.568 million tons with Rs. 41,546 crores subsidy to domestic consumers in 2012–13. The LPG import content is nearly 40% of total consumption in India. The affordable electricity retail tariff (860 Kcal/Kwh at 74% heating efficiency) to replace LPG (net calorific value 11,000 Kcal/Kg at 40% heating efficiency) in domestic cooking is up to 10.2 Rs/Kwh, when the retail price of LPG cylinder is Rs 1000 (without subsidy) with 14.2 kg LPG content. Replacing LPG consumption with electricity would reduce imports substantially.


title: Electricity sector in India

text: The domestic consumption of kerosene is 7.349 million tons with Rs. 30,151 crores subsidy to the domestic consumers in 2012–13. The subsidized retail price of kerosene is 13.69 Rs/liter whereas the export/import price is 48.00 Rs/liter. The affordable electricity retail tariff (860 Kcal/Kwh at 74% heating efficiency) to replace kerosene (net calorific value 8240 Kcal/liter at 40% heating efficiency) in domestic cooking is up to 9.27 Rs/kWh when the kerosene retail price is 48 Rs/liter.


title: Electricity sector in India

text: In 2014–15, the plant load factor (PLF) of coal-fired thermal power stations was only 64.46%. These stations can run above 85% PLF if there is adequate electricity demand. The additional electricity generation at 85% PLF is nearly 240 billion units, enough to replace all the LPG and kerosene consumption in domestic sector. The incremental cost of generating additional electricity is only the coal fuel cost, less than 3 Rs/Kwh. Enhancing the PLF of coal-fired stations and encouraging domestic electricity consumers to substitute electricity in place of LPG and kerosene in household cooking would reduce government subsidies. It has been proposed that domestic consumers who are willing to surrender subsidized LPG/kerosene permits should be given a free electricity connection and a subsidized electricity tariff. Substantial scope is also present in micro, small, and medium enterprises (MSME) to switch over to electricity from fossil fuels to reduce cost of production provided uninterrupted power supply is ensured.


title: Electricity sector in India

text: Since 2017, IPPs have offered to sell solar and wind power below 3.00 Rs/Kwh to feed into the high voltage grid. After considering distribution costs and losses, solar power appears to be a viable economic option for replacing the LPG and kerosene used in the domestic sector.


title: Electricity sector in India

text: The retail prices of petrol and diesel are high enough in India to make electricity driven vehicles relatively economical. The retail price of diesel was 101.00 Rs/litre in 2021–22, and the retail price of petrol was 110.00 Rs/litre. The affordable retail electricity price to replace diesel would be up to 19 Rs/Kwh (860 Kcal/Kwh at 75% input electricity to shaft power efficiency versus diesel's net calorific value of 8572 Kcal/liter at 40% fuel energy to crankshaft power efficiency), and the comparable number to replace petrol would be up to 28 Rs/Kwh (860 Kcal/Kwh at 75% input electricity to shaft power efficiency versus petrol's net calorific value at 7693 Kcal/litre at 33% fuel energy to crankshaft power efficiency). In 2012–13, India consumed 15.744 million tons of petrol and 69.179 million tons of diesel, both mainly produced from imported crude oil.


title: Electricity sector in India

text: Electricity driven vehicles are expected to become popular in India when energy storage/battery technology offers improved range, longer life and lower maintenance. Vehicle to grid options are also attractive, potentially allowing electric vehicles to help to mitigate peak loads in the electricity grid. The potential for continuous charging of electric vehicles through wireless electricity transmission technology is being explored by Indian companies and others.


title: Electricity sector in India

text: India has abundant solar, wind, hydro (including pumped storage) and biomass power potential. In addition, as of January 2011 India had approximately 38 trillion cubic feet (Tcf) of proven natural gas reserves, the world's 26th largest reserve. The United States Energy Information Administration estimates that India produced approximately 1.8 Tcf of natural gas in 2010 while consuming roughly 2.3 Tcf of natural gas. India already produces coalbed methane.


title: Death Race (2008 film)

text: Death Race is a 2008 dystopian action thriller film written and directed by Paul W. S. Anderson. It stars Jason Statham, Tyrese Gibson, Ian McShane, and Joan Allen.


title: Death Race (2008 film)

text: Though referred to as a remake of the 1975 film "Death Race 2000" (which in turn is based on Ib Melchior's short story "The Racer") in reviews and marketing materials, director Paul W. S. Anderson stated in the DVD commentary that he thought of the film as something of a prequel.


title: Death Race (2008 film)

text: A remake had been in development since 2002, though production was delayed by disapproval of early screenplays, then placed in turnaround following a dispute between Paramount Pictures and the producer duo Tom Cruise and Paula Wagner (the latter was the producer without Cruise in the film). "Death Race" was acquired by Universal Pictures, and Anderson re-joined the project to write and direct. Filming began in Montreal in August 2007, and the completed project was released on August 22, 2008. The film received mixed reviews from critics and grossed $76 million worldwide.


title: Death Race (2008 film)

text: Three direct-to-video films in the series were then released: "Death Race 2" (2010), "" (2013) and "" (2018).


title: Death Race (2008 film)

text: In 2012, the collapse of the US economy and the subsequent increase in crime rates leads to the rise of privatized prisons. One such prison is Terminal Island Penitentiary, whose warden, Claire Hennessey, earns profits from broadcasting "Death Race", a vehicular combat racing series, on the internet. Throughout the season, Terminal Island inmates battle each other in specially modified, weaponised and armoured cars on a track cut into the grounds, with the goal of winning their freedom.


title: Death Race (2008 film)

text: Towards the end of a race, a masked driver nicknamed Frankenstein is nearing the finish line, pursued by his rival Machine Gun Joe. His navigator, Case, reports that all of his defensive weapons have malfunctioned. Against her protests, Frankenstein refuses to let Joe finish first. Case ejects herself out of the car just before Joe destroys it as it crosses the finish line.


title: Death Race (2008 film)

text: Industrial worker and ex-con Jensen Ames struggles to support his family. When the steel mill he works at is closed, he returns home to his wife Suzy and their new-born daughter, Piper. A masked assailant knocks him unconscious. Jensen wakes up with a bloodied knife in his hand, Suzy dead nearby, and policemen storming into his home and arresting him. He is sentenced to life imprisonment, while Piper is placed in foster care.


title: Death Race (2008 film)

text: Six months later, Jensen is transferred to Terminal Island Prison. Hennessey's second in-command Ulrich calls Jensen to her office. She tells him that Frankenstein had died from the injuries he received at the end of the previous race, and offers to let Jensen go free if he drives Frankenstein's car to win one more race. Jensen accepts the offer and meets Frankenstein's maintenance crew consisting of Coach, Gunner, and Lists; they explain to Jensen that Hennessey wants him to become Frankenstein to rebuild the profits and audience of "Death Race", which has halved since Frankenstein's "disappearance".


title: Death Race (2008 film)

text: On the first day of the three day race, Jensen meets Case. During the race his vehicle's defensive equipment again mysteriously malfunctions. Jensen is distracted and blindsided by Joe when he sees Pachenko perform the same hand gesture at him as the masked assailant, causing Jensen to realize it was Pachenko who killed his wife. Jensen confronts Pachenko and attacks him after the race - prompting Pachenko to admit the truth: Hennessey ordered him to frame Jensen, so she can have a replacement for Frankenstein. On the second day, Jensen threatens to eject Case unless she explains the truth about the malfunctions. Case admits she sabotaged Frankenstein's car to keep him from winning and leaving Death Race, in exchange for her release papers. Jensen then tricks Pachenko into slamming his car head-on into a concrete barrier, and exits the car to snap Pachenko's neck. He and Joe then collaborate to destroy a multi-weapon tanker truck called the "Dreadnought", which was added to boost ratings, after the tanker massacres most of the surviving racers, much to the warden's fury. By the end of the second race day, all racers except Jensen and Joe are killed. Hennessey orders Ulrich to plant a bomb underneath Jensen's car in case he wins, knowing she can always find another person to impersonate Frankenstein. Jensen, who has realized Hennessey "never" intended to let anyone win their freedom from the start, approaches Joe after the race, suggesting they talk.


title: Death Race (2008 film)

text: On the final race, Hennessey deliberately allows Joe to open fire on Jensen's car while rendering Jensen unable to retaliate. Jensen contacts Joe, suggesting they collaborate again, whereupon they destroy and drive through a weakened wall. Hennessey activates the bomb, but does not know it was removed and disassembled by Coach. She orders helicopters to pursue, but Jensen jumps out of the car as Case takes his place. Case is captured while Joe and Jensen escape on a freight train. Hennessey later opens a present sent due to record-breaking ratings, finding it to be the bomb she planted on Jensen's car. Coach detonates the bomb, killing Hennessey and Ulrich. He then turns to the audience and says "I love this game!" Six months later and 2000 miles away, Joe and Jensen, reunited with Piper, are shown working in Mexico as mechanics, and are soon reunited with Case.


title: Death Race (2008 film)

text: In March 2005, following the success of "Alien vs. Predator" (2004), director Paul W. S. Anderson revealed that he was directing a remake of "Death Race 2000" (1975) entitled "Death Race 3000" at Paramount Pictures based on a script by J. F. Lawton. The remake would be produced by the producer pair Tom Cruise and Paula Wagner. Anderson described the remake as a riff on the first film. "It's not a straight remake at all. The first movie was an across-America race. This will be an around-the-world race. And it's set further in the future, so the cars are even more futuristic. So you've got cars with rockets, machine guns, force fields; cars that can split apart and re-form, a bit like Transformers. Cars that become invisible," the director explained. Comingsoon.net reported that "Paul saw his film almost as a prequel if anything; almost the genesis of the Death Race", though the film is referred to primarily as a remake in reviews and marketing materials.


title: Death Race (2008 film)

text: Two years later, Roger Corman, the producer of "Death Race 2000", elaborated that he had an option agreement with producer Tom Cruise, and that Cruise would portray the lead role. The director said that Cruise had not been happy with the first two screenplays and that a third one was underway. In June 2006, producer Jeremy Bolt reported that Anderson would direct the remake of "Death Race 2000" after completing "" (2007). The producer described the remake's new tone: "We've basically taken the idea of reality television and extended it twenty years. So it's definitely a comment on society, and particularly reality television, but it is not as much a parody or a satire as the original. It's more straight." The following August, Paramount ended its relationship with Cruise/Wagner Productions, and "Death Race" was placed in turnaround. According to reports, when the project was discovered available, Universal Studios acquired it. Cruise and Wagner resumed their roles as producers, and Anderson returned to write and direct the film.


title: Death Race (2008 film)

text: In April 2007, actor Jason Statham entered negotiations to star in "Death Race", with production slated to begin in late summer or early fall. Anderson described that "Death Race" would take place in a prison, and that the film would be "super-violent" like its predecessor. "It has little echoes of the original – a lot of people get run down, but rather than having the points system, which had no pay off anyway, it's a pure race. It's more like "Gladiator", with the last person standing – or driving, winning," explained the director. Filming on "Death Race" began in Montreal in August 2007.


title: Death Race (2008 film)

text: The film drew generally mixed reviews from critics. Review aggregator Rotten Tomatoes gives it a 42% rating based on reviews from 160 critics, with an average rating of 5.00/10. The website's critical consensus states, "Mindless, violent, and lightning-paced, "Death Race" is little more than an empty action romp." Metacritic reports a rating of 43 out of 100 based on reviews from 23 critics, indicating "mixed or average reviews." Audiences polled by CinemaScore during opening weekend gave the film an average grade of "B+" on a scale ranging from A+ to F.


title: Death Race (2008 film)

text: Robert Koehler of "Variety" called "Death Race" "as hard as metal and just as dumb" and criticized it for removing the humor of "Death Race 2000". Roger Ebert of the "Chicago Sun-Times" gave the film half a star (out of four), calling it "an assault on all the senses, including common." Keith Phipps of the A. V. Club said the film is "ideal for those who want to watch a bunch of cars blow each other up, without having to think about it all that much." Marc Savlov of the "Austin Chronicle" called "Death Race" "one of the most boring drags of all time."


title: Death Race (2008 film)

text: Peter Hartlaub of the "San Francisco Chronicle" called the film "an ill-advised and severely wussified remake." Elizabeth Weitzman of the "New York Daily News" gave the film one and a half stars (out of four), calling it "junk", and saying that "the chases are pretty cool, but there's absolutely nothing else to see." A positive review came from Nathan Lee of "The New York Times", who said that "the movie is legitimately greasy, authentically nasty, with a good old-fashioned sense of laying waste to everything in sight." James Berardinelli of ReelViews awarded "Death Race" a score of two and a half stars (out of four), saying that it's "weak when it comes to things like plot, character, and acting, but it's very good at provoking visceral reactions."


title: Death Race (2008 film)

text: The film was originally scheduled for release on September 26, 2008, but was moved to August 22, 2008.


title: Death Race (2008 film)

text: The DVD and Blu-ray were released in the United States on December 21, 2008. There was also an unrated edition released. The Blu-ray version of the movie features a Digital Copy of the film. In the DVD commentary, Anderson further elaborates on his thought of the movie as a prequel more than a remake.


title: Death Race (2008 film)

text: The score to "Death Race" was composed by Paul Haslinger and conducted by Tim Davies. Haslinger recorded the string portion of his score with the Hollywood Studio Symphony at the Sony Scoring Stage.


title: Death Race (2008 film)

text: The film is followed by two direct-to-video prequel films "Death Race 2" (2010) and "" (2013); both take place before this film and were filmed in South Africa. The films were directed by Roel Reiné, and star Luke Goss, Tanit Phoenix, Danny Trejo and Ving Rhames all appeared in the prequels. Lists and 14K are the only returning characters and are portrayed by Frederick Koehler and Robin Shou, respectively. A fourth film is a direct-to-video sequel to the first film, titled "" (2018), also featuring Lists, making him the only character to appear and be played by the same actor in all four films.


title: The Sword of Truth

text: The Sword of Truth is a series of twenty-one epic fantasy novels and 6 novellas written by Terry Goodkind. The books follow the protagonists Richard Cypher, Kahlan Amnell, Nicci, Cara, and Zeddicus Zu'l Zorander on their quest to defeat oppressors who seek to control the world and those who wish to unleash evil upon the world of the living. While each novel was written to stand alone, except for the final three that were intended to be a trilogy, they follow a common timeline and are linked by ongoing events that occur throughout the series.


title: The Sword of Truth

text: The series began in 1994 with "Wizard's First Rule" and Goodkind wrote eighteen more novels in addition to a novella titled "Debt of Bones". The latest novel in the series, "Heart of Black Ice", was released in 2020. As of 2008, 25 million copies of the series' books have been sold worldwide, and the series has been translated into more than 20 languages. A television series adaptation of the novels, titled "Legend of the Seeker", produced by ABC Studios and broadcast via syndication, first aired on November 1, 2008.


title: The Sword of Truth

text: Keith Parkinson served as the cover artist for all the novels of the first edition, apart from "Wizard's First Rule" and "Blood of the Fold". New hardback and paperback editions of those two books were later published with new cover illustrations by Parkinson. Parkinson died on October 26, 2005, but not before completing the cover art for two more novels in the series.


title: The Sword of Truth

text: The series is set in a world divided into two major regions: the New World and the Old World. The New World consists of three lands with Westland in the west, D'Hara in the east, and the Midlands between them. D'Hara is ruled by a magically gifted member of the Rahl family, while the welfare of the Midlands is decided by a council of representatives led by the Mother Confessor, who is also the leader of the Confessors. The Confessors are a group of women who each have a magical power to force a person to become entirely devoted to them. People touched by a Confessor's power will do anything for her or truthfully answer any question she asks, hence the name Confessor. Westland, a land of no magic, is also ruled by a council of representatives. The Old World is not introduced until the second book in the series and its geographical features are described in less detail.


title: The Sword of Truth

text: The main character is a young man named Richard Cypher, a Westland woods guide whose simple life is forever changed after he becomes the Seeker of Truth, a champion of truth and justice. Over the course of the series, Richard learns about his heritage while seeking to stop the evil that others would unleash upon the world of the living. Because Richard refuses to sacrifice his values and lives his life as a free man, others begin to understand the nobility of man and what it means to be free. Each book is loosely themed around a Wizard's Rule, tenets by which all wizards should abide. The eleventh full-length novel, "Confessor", concludes the series' central story arc regarding the invasion of the Imperial Order, an empire in the Old World led by Jagang. "Warheart" was the last novel in the series.


title: The Sword of Truth

text: The first book, "Wizard's First Rule", takes place in the New World, some twenty or so years after two magical boundaries were raised to separate Westland, the Midlands, and D'Hara. The story deals with the growth of the D'Haran Empire under its leader, Darken Rahl, as he invades the Midlands, taking over its territories while seeking to gain control of an ancient power over life called the Boxes of Orden. The book begins a few weeks after the murder of Richard's father. Richard encounters a young woman by the name of Kahlan Amnell, the Mother Confessor who has come from the Midlands in search of the "Old One," a legendary wizard. He discovers that his best friend and mentor, Zeddicus Zu'l "Zedd" Zorander, is the wizard whom she seeks. Zedd appoints Richard the Seeker of Truth and gives him the Sword of Truth. The sword is said to work through perception; it will cut through anything that its wielder perceives to be a threat but will not cut anything or anyone the wielder regards as innocent. The Sword also amplifies anger, thereby granting its wielder added strength, agility, and conviction.


title: The Sword of Truth

text: Richard, Kahlan, and Zedd journey to the Midlands in search of the last Box of Orden that Rahl needs to acquire before he can use the magic of Orden. Along the way, Richard and Kahlan fall in love. The first book concludes with Richard killing Rahl by tricking him into making a mistake, and with the revelation of Richard's true parentage.


title: The Sword of Truth

text: The series continues with "Stone of Tears", which immediately follows the events that occurred in "Wizard's First Rule". Unbeknownst to Richard, the opening of the boxes of Orden has torn the veil between the worlds of the living and the dead, allowing minions of the Keeper of the Underworld to come forth. Richard and Kahlan return to the Mud People (whom Richard and Kahlan befriend and defend in "Wizard's First Rule") and decide to marry. However, before they can, they are separated when Richard is captured by the Sisters of the Light, sorceresses from the Old World who train men to become wizards. Richard is taken to the Old World while Kahlan goes to Aydindril to ask Zedd for help. On the way, she witnesses the beginning of the Imperial Order's invasion of the New World, led by Emperor Jagang. Upon reaching Aydindril, she discovers that her people have been swayed by the Order's corrupt morality; she is subsequently sentenced to death.


title: The Sword of Truth

text: Meanwhile, at the Palace of the Prophets (the Sisters' home in the Old World) Richard learns more about magic, prophecies, and his identity. He escapes the Palace and returns to D'Hara to stop the Keeper from devouring the world of the living. The novel ends with Richard discovering that Kahlan is safe outside Aydindril with her identity shielded by Zedd. Kahlan is reassured that Richard has returned to the New World.


title: The Sword of Truth

text: In the third novel, "Blood of the Fold," Richard's plan to reunite with Kahlan is delayed by the arrival of beast-like assassins called Mriswith and by the advancement of Jagang's army into the New World. Having accepted his identity as a war wizard - and as the gifted son of Darken Rahl—Richard decides to claim the throne of D'Hara as a means of unifying the fractured Midlands, which, in Kahlan's absence, has weakened to the point of being unable to resist the Order. Kahlan, along with the sorceress Adie, is captured on her way back to Aydindril by the Blood of the Fold, a violent group of zealots who oppose magic on religious grounds. The Blood of the Fold are being tricked by Emperor Jagang, the leader of the Imperial Order, to do his bidding. After realizing that the Blood of the Fold have taken Kahlan and Adie to the Palace of the Prophets, Richard travels to the Old World to rescue them. He takes this opportunity to destroy the Palace, preventing Jagang from using the treasures it holds. While Verna, the new Prelate, leads the Sisters of the Light and their students to join the D'Haran army, Richard and Kahlan return to Aydindril and defeat the Mriswiths, as well as the Blood of the Fold.


title: The Sword of Truth

text: The fourth novel, "Temple of the Winds", tells of the struggles Richard, Kahlan, and their friends face as they attempt to stop a plague released by Jagang and to prevent him from seizing important items that will help him win the war. As Richard's ancestor Nathan Rahl receives books from Jagang under a tentative deal struck between them, he sends Zedd and Ann, former Prelate of the Sisters of the Light, to destroy the prophecies found within the Jocopo Treasure. As foretold by prophecy regarding the plague, Kahlan betrays Richard in order for him to gain admittance into the Temple of the Winds, wherein he stops the plague. However, the spirit of Darken Rahl appears in the Temple and refuses to let Richard leave unless he willingly contracts the plague. When Richard eventually returns, he and Kahlan forgive each other for their actions. With Nathan and Cara's help, Kahlan is able to cure Richard. The book concludes with Richard and Kahlan's wedding at the Mud People's village, where they are reunited with Zedd and Ann.


title: The Sword of Truth

text: Directly following "Temple of the Winds", "Soul of the Fire" revolves around Richard and Kahlan dealing with two threats: the gradual disappearance of all magic and the leaders of the nation of Anderith, who are considering surrendering to the Imperial Order. In so doing, Anderith would hand over control of the Dominie Dirtch, a weapon of mass destruction. Richard and Kahlan discover that a terrible magic known as the "Chimes" has been released and is draining magic from the world, causing magic to fail and creatures of magic to die. They head to Anderith, a place they believe to be connected to the Chimes. As Jagang's army marches towards Anderith, Richard attempts to save its people by urging them to join the D'Haran Empire, but he fails to persuade them. Meanwhile, Ann attempts to save the Sisters of the Light enslaved by Jagang but is betrayed by them and captured. She escapes with the help of her former student, who is a Sister of the Dark. The novel ends with Richard banishing the Chimes and deciding to return to Westland, where he will help Kahlan recover from injuries sustained in Anderith and wait until the people of the New World prove to him that they truly want freedom.


title: The Sword of Truth

text: The next volume in the series, "Faith of the Fallen", chronicles more than one and a half years of the characters' lives. Nicci, a Sister of the Dark and a follower of the Imperial Order, captures Richard and forces him to travel with her to the Old World by using a magical spell that allows her to control Kahlan's life. Prevented from following Richard, Kahlan and Cara rejoin the D'Haran army in the Midlands. Kahlan assumes control of the army and stalls Jagang's army from capturing Aydindril, the seat of power in the Midlands. When Kahlan finally realizes that she can delay but not stop Jagang's massive army, she travels to the Old World with Cara in search of Richard. Meanwhile, in the Old World capital of Altur'Rang, Richard has begun to inspire its people, including Nicci, to reconsider their moral code and to challenge the Order. The people of Altur'Rang rebel against the Order and declare themselves free of its oppression. Repenting, Nicci removes the spell from Kahlan and joins Richard and Kahlan in their fight against the Order.


title: The Sword of Truth

text: While continuing on from "Faith of the Fallen", "The Pillars of Creation" differs from the other novels in the series in that its protagonists are not Richard and Kahlan, but new characters by the names of Jennsen Rahl and Oba Rahl, who are Richard's half siblings. Both are unaware that they are pristinely ungifted and immune to magic. Jennsen, who has spent most of her life hiding from the Lord Rahl (originally Darken Rahl), meets an Imperial Order spy named Sebastian, who fuels her hatred of the new Lord Rahl (Richard) by convincing her that the Order's beliefs are virtuous. She joins Jagang and his army as they launch an attack on the Confessor's Palace in Aydindril. After their defeat, Jennsen strikes a deal with the Keeper to surrender herself in exchange for Richard's death. Meanwhile, Oba follows the bidding of the Keeper, who is using him in his plan to enter the world of the living. In the novel's climax, Jennsen sees through the Order's lies and chooses to help Richard in his quest against Jagang.


title: The Sword of Truth

text: In the eighth novel, "Naked Empire", Richard and Kahlan are interrupted during their journey home to the New World when a man named Owen from the empire of Bandakar asks them to help free his people from the Order. Richard and Kahlan reluctantly refuse the request because they are needed elsewhere. In response, Owen poisons Richard and says that he will provide the antidote only if Richard agrees to help. Richard and Kahlan learn that the people of Bandakar are pristinely ungifted like Jennsen and Oba, and that they have been overrun by the Order because they have shunned all forms of violence, refusing to fight for their own lives. Richard eventually convinces them to rise up and drive the Order from their mountain homeland. In the process, Richard learns to restore his gift, which had failed because he misunderstood its true nature and purpose. Meanwhile, the Wizard's Keep in Aydindril is infiltrated by Bandakarian men that the Order has enslaved. The novel ends with Zedd and Chase reclaiming the Keep, and the defeat of the Imperial Order's army in Bandakar.