The Department of Power System of Xi’an Jiaotong University has a long history, and it can be traced back to the establishment of the Electrical Machinery Specialist in Jiaotong University in 1908. In 1952, two departments (Department of Power Transmission and Distribution, Department of Power Generation) were established. It was one of the first few institutions of higher education in China to establish this discipline at that time. Meanwhile, we started to enroll both undergraduates and specialist students.

In 1956, the faculty and experiment equipment of these two departments were almost completely moved to Xi’an. In 1978, the discipline was approved to be renamed as “Power System and its Automation”, it became a secondary discipline under the primary discipline of Electrical Engineering. In 1982, it was awarded the first batch of doctoral degrees conferring site in China. In 1999, it was renamed as the Department of Power System. In 2001, the second-level of Electricity Economics and Technology Management was set up. In 2001, it was selected as a national key second-level discipline by the Ministry of Education. In 2011, a second-level discipline of New Energy Power System and its Intelligence was established according to the development needs of the discipline.

There are 25 teachers in the Department, including 1 academician of the Chinese Academy of Science, 1 IEEE Fellow, 1 scholar who is enlisted in the New Century National Hundred, Thousand, and Ten Thousand Talents Program. There are 10 professors, 9 associate professors and 6 lecturers now.

At present, the Department has the first-class research platform in China, including the dynamic simulation laboratory of power system, power market simulation laboratory, frequency division transmission laboratory, novel relay protection laboratory, real-time digital simulation (RTDS) laboratory of power system and new energy physical simulation laboratory. In 2015, it was approved and established the Key Laboratory of Smart Grid in Shaanxi Province. Research work in the fields of power system analysis and planning, power market, power system safety control, novel relay protection and automation, harmonic analysis and new energy power system, etc. has reached the international advanced level. It has formed many unique scientific research achievements with great influence at home and abroad. The textbooks and monographs edited have great influence, such as “Power System Calculation”, “Modern Power System Analysis”, “Novel Relay Protection and Fault Ranging Principles and Techniques”, “Power System Analysis”, “Power System Transient Analysis”, “Power System Relay Protection”, etc.

At present, there are about 60 undergraduates, 80 doctoral and master's degree students, and 10 international students with doctoral and master's degrees. A majority of graduated students work in power system operation companies, research institutes and universities.