The　rational　economic　load　dispatch　can　not　only　save　the　energy,　but　also　improve　efficiency　of　power　systems,　so　it　is　important　to　research　economic　load　dispatch　problem.　However,　duo　to　its　complex　and　nonlinear　characteristics,　it　is　difficult　to　solve　the　problem　using　traditional　optimization　method.　PSO　has　been　successfully　applied　to　a　wide　range　of　applications,　in　solving　continuous　nonlinear　optimization　problems.　Owing　to　good　characteristics　of　ergodicity,　chaotic　particle　swarm　optimization　(CPSO)　was　presented　to　avoid　the　premature　phenomenon　of　PSO,　and　furthermore,　tent　map　has　the　outstanding　advantages　and　higher　iterative　speed　than　logistic　map　in　chaotic　optimization.　Therefore,　this　paper　presents　a　modified　tent-map-based　chaotic　PSO　(TCPSO)　to　solve　the　economic　load　dispatch　problem.　More　specifically,　a　novel　dynamic　inertial　weight　factor　was　incorporated　with　the　modified　hybrid　TCPSO,　which　balances　the　global　and　local　search　better.　Numerical　simulation　results　of　three　test　systems　successfully　validate　that　TCPSO　outperformed　CPSO　and　other　heuristic　optimization　techniques　on　the　same　problem.