This paper proposes a predictor‐corrector primal‐dual interior point method which introduces line search procedures (IPLS) in both the predictor and corrector steps. The Fibonacci search technique is used in the predictor step, while an Armijo line search is used in the corrector step. The method is developed for application to the economic dispatch (ED) problem studied in the field of power systems analysis. The theory of the method is examined for quadratic programming problems and involves the analysis of iterative schemes, computational implementation, and issues concerning the adaptation of the proposed algorithm to solve ED problems. Numerical results are presented, which demonstrate improvements and the efficiency of the IPLS method when compared to several other methods described in the literature. Finally, postoptimization analyses are performed for the solution of ED problems.