This book provides readers with basic knowledge of evolutionary computation and other heuristic optimization techniques, and explains how they are combined with knowledge elements in computational intelligence systems. Applications to power problems are stressed, and example applications are presented.

The first book to offer a comprehensive overview of the wide range of modern heuristic optimization techniques in a unified way for general readers, it provides a wealth of information on practical applications in power systems for practicing engineers. Coverage includes the fundamentals of evolutionary computation, genetic algorithms, evolutionary programming and strategies, simulated annealing, tabu search, and hybrid system of evolutionary computation, plus an overview of power system applications. The text also discusses specific applications of the heuristic approaches to power system problems, such as security assessment, operational planning, generation, transmission and distribution planning, state estimation, and power plant and power system control.