In this paper, a modified ABC based on chaos theory namely CIABC is comprehensively enhanced and effectively applied for solving a multi-objective EED problem to minimize three conflicting objective functions with non-smooth and non-convex generator fuel cost characteristics while satisfying the operation constraints. The proposed method uses a Chaotic Local Search (CLS) to enhance the self searching ability of the original ABC algorithm for finding feasible optimal solutions of the EED problem. Also, many linear and nonlinear constraints, such as generation limits, transmission line loss, security constraints and non-smooth cost functions are considered as dynamic operational constraints. Moreover, a method based on fuzzy set theory is employed to extract one of the Pareto-optimal solutions as the best compromise one. The proposed multi objective evolutionary method has been applied to the standard IEEE 30 bus six generators, fourteen generators and 40 thermal generating units, respectively, as small, medium and large test power system. The numerical results obtained with the proposed method based on tables and figures compared with other evolutionary algorithm of scientific literatures. The results regards that the proposed CIABC algorithm surpasses the other available methods in terms of computational efficiency and solution quality. (C) 2013 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.