History

It is considered that the Romanian higher education in power engineering started with the electrotechnical one, before the First World War, in 1913, when, taking into account the economic evolution of Romania, it was appreciated that it is necessary to extend the university education to applications, and  Electricians School was established. It was later transformed into  Electrotehnic Institute  as an addition to the University of Bucharest and the University of Iasi.

Another historical landmark is the year 1920, when Prof. Nicolae Vasilescu-Karpen, appointed director of  National School of Bridges and Roads,  elaborates the project of transforming it into   Polytechnic School of Bucharest . The decree law was promulgated by King Ferdinand on June 10, 1921. At the date of its establishment, the Polytechnic School of Bucharest was organized in 4 sections: Constructions, Electromechanics, Mines and Industries.

In the period following this event, the electric power field is strongly boosted in Romania. In 1921, Eng. Dimitrie Leonida published, in the special issue 4-5 of the magazine  Buletin IRE , an extensive study on “electrification of Romania” being a first plan proposal for the electrification of our country. Visionally analyzing the development possibilities of the Romanian industry of that period, especially the metallurgical and chemical industry, as well as the need to electrify the railways, Dimitrie Leonida proposes the construction of power plants and an interconnection network (called "overvoltage network"). ) with a voltage of 120 kV, composed of a north-south axis and two east-west axes and another with a voltage of 70 kV. It is remarkable that at a time when in Romania the highest voltage transfer of electricity was 25 kV for a network totaling several tens of kilometers of line, Dimitrie Leonida proposes the creation of a national power system to operate at the highest high tensions used worldwide, which could have satisfied the country's development in the medium term.

The year 1924 represents a landmark year in the development of the energy industry. In that year, the first World Energy Conference took place in London, at which it was decided to set up the organization which is today called the World Energy Council. Romania was a founding member of it.

In the same year, an energy law with modern provisions was approved in Romania, which boosted the development of the energy sector, but also of the Romanian economy.

At the end of the Second World War, the Polytechnic School of Bucharest operated with seven faculties: Construction, Electromechanics, Mining and Metallurgy, Forestry, Industrial Chemistry, Agronomy, Architecture. The education reform, carried out by the law of August 3, 1948, transforms it into  Polytechnic Institute of Bucharest  (IPB) with four faculties: Industrial Chemistry, Electrotechnics, Mechanics, Textile. It is for the first time in the history of POLITEHNICA University of Bucharest when the electric power and electrotechnical branch, which has become - in the meantime - an important component of the Romanian industry, has a dedicated faculty. At the date of establishment, the Faculty of Electrical Engineering had three specialization groups:  Electric machines and apparatus ,  Electricity production and distribution ,  Electronics and Telecommunications . It is interresting that, in the structure of the faculty, the new specialization of electric power explicitly appreas.

On the basis of the Senate resolution of November 1992,  Polytechnic Institute of Bucharest  (IPB) becomes  University POLITEHNICA of  Bucharest (UPB).

In 1950, specialization  Electricity production and distribution  administratively separates from the faculty of Electrical Engineering and becomes the faculty of Power Engineering structured in three sections: Power Systems, Hydropower, Thermoenergetics.

In 1957, the faculties of Electrical Engineering and Energy merged to become the Faculty of Electrical Engineering and Power Engineering. The two faculties will separate after three years. In 1986, the two reunited and separated again four years later.

Within the Faculty of Power Engineering, in 1962, the specialization of Automation was established. In four years, it became the Faculty of Automatics, later called Automatics and Computers.

The current department of Electric Power Systems of University POLITEHNICA of Bucharest was founded in 1950 as a result of the organization of the Faculty of Power Engineering. At the time of its establishment, it was called the department of  Power plants and power grids  and was led by Prof. Constantin DINCULESCU. The department was initially made up of groups of Reţele electrice şi  Power plants , to which, later,  Automation was added. In 1966, the first two groups formed the departments of  Electric networks and  Power plants , and the third team goes to the faculty of the same name, newly established.

From its establishment until 1971, the department of  Electric networks  was led by academician professor engineer Martin BERCOVICI until his death and, further, until 1984 by professor PhD engineer Gleb DRĂGAN, member of the Romanian Academy. In 1984, the unification took place with the Department of Power Plants, the single department resuming the initial name of Power Plants and Networks, the head of the new department being prof.PhD.engr. Gheorghe CARABOGDAN. Within this, in the field of electric power, two groups are formed:  High voltage technology  under the leadership of Prof. PhD. Engr. Dorin CRISTESCU and  Electric networks and electricity utilization  under the leadership of Prof. PhD. Engr. Gheorghe IACOBESCU.

At the beginning of 1990, the separation of the Department of Power Plants and Electric Networks in the mentioned departments takes place again. On this occasion, the Department of Electric Networks changes its name to the Department of Power Systems, head of department being prof. dr. eng. Dorin CRISTESCU. Within the restructuring generated at the level of university education in the European Union through the Bologna process, starting with 2005 the name of the department is  Electric Power Systems .

In the period following the events of 1989, the department was chaired by:

• prof. PhD. engr. Dorin CRISTESCU (1990 – 1992; 1996 – 1998; 2000 – 2004)

• prof. PhD. engr. Theodor MICLESCU (1992 – 1996)

• prof. PhD. engr. Sorin HURDUBEŢIU (1998 – 2000)

• prof. PhD. engr. Mircea EREMIA (2004 – 2008)

• prof. PhD. engr. Constantin BULAC (2008 – 2012; 2016 - 2020)

• prof. PhD. engr. Ion TRISTIU (2012 – 2016)

• prof. PhD. engr. Virgil DUMBRAVĂ (2020 – present)