Abstract: The economic dispatch problem of power systems is a core optimization issue in power system operation. It usually takes the minimum fuel cost as the objective function and is characterized by non-linearity, discontinuity, high dimensionality, and strong constraints. The goose optimization algorithm (GOOSE) features adaptive adjustment of the resolution and speed of the search space. To further improve the algorithm performance, a chaotic mapping strategy is introduced on the basis of the original algorithm, and an improved GOOSE algorithm is proposed. The improved GOOSE algorithm is compared and verified with the GOOSE algorithm, the traditional particle swarm optimization (PSO) algorithm, and two improved PSO algorithms on the IEEE 30-bus system. The results show that the improved GOOSE algorithm has higher convergence efficiency and better stability.