The Institute, established in 1971 as the Institute of Atomic Energy, was renamed on May 11, 1996, to the Institute of Advanced Energy with the consolidation of Plasma Physics Laboratory, to represent its research interests in advanced and socially acceptable energy systems in the entire processes of energy generation, conversion and utilization. The former Institute of Atomic Energy, the predecessor of which was the Engineering Research Institute founded in 1941 as originally seeking to carry out synthetic studies of engineering through the cooperative work of specialists in different fields, has sought since 1971 to assume part of the responsibility for peaceful applications of atomic energy and has performed various kinds of fundamental researches in nuclear engineering.
The recent rapid expansion of the research fields at the Institute of Atomic Energy toward various fields of energy sciences, such as systems engineering for social and environmental energy systems,
advanced energy conversion researches in quantum engineering,
physico-chemistry and materials science, consequently has brought abouto the new institute i.e.,
the Institute of Advanced Energy in search of advanced and socially acceptable energy systems.
The Institute of Advanced Energy had joined to the Kyoto University 21st Century COE program named "Establishment of COE on Sustainable Energy System" from 2002 with Graduate School of Energy Science and Radio Science Center for Space and Atmosphere, Kyoto University.