In the beginning, in order to meet the requirements of electrical power construction and development in China, a lot of R&D programs were carried out in IEE, including electrical power system stability and operation mode, electrical power system automation, large-sized electrical engine, high voltage technology, electrical measurement and instruments, large-sized electrical conductance energy storage apparatus, micro power engine, special power engine, electric spark, e-beam, ion beam, plasma fabrication technology, and so on. A series of contributions were achieved for the development of Chinese electrical power, industrial automation, and the industrialization of electrical fabrication technology. A plenty of scientific researchers were cultivated and toughened. They became the enormous assets for China with the excellent scientific basis and the practical operation ability.
Since 1965, IEE put the research focused on the new technology and development of electrical engineering，especially the technology of high voltage pulsed discharge and its application, as well as large-sized special electrical engine. In 1968, IEE began to develop high power pulse electric source. In 1970, the group of magnetofluid power generation was founded to strengthen the research on the magnetofluid application. After that, other groups were established in the areas of many new scientific subjects, including the superconductive electrical engineering, the application of computer in electrical engineering, as well as the technology of electron microbeam fabrication. In 1979, according to the CAS long-term development planning, IEE defined the institute development direction as “Research on the fundamental theory of electrical engineering, electrical energy, and the application thereof”. The group of solar thermal power generation was established consequently and alternated as the group of solar heat utilization and photovoltaic power generation in 1982. Further, wind power generation was merged into this group in 1986, and the group name was changed to “new energy”.
Now, IEE has been an important research organization on various new electrical engineering and energy engineering in China. There are currently 6 research departments and 1 research center in the institute, involved in renewable energy, such as wind energy, photovoltaic energy and solar thermal energy, new type electrical power, superconductive application, biomedicine, electric driver, micro-nano electric fabrication, and the frontier fundamental science. With strong support from the nation and wide cooperation with corporations as well as other research organizations all over the world, IEE is dedicated to the well being of Chinese society and human beings.
