With advanced information-based societies making increased use of electric equipment in the home and in industry, demand for electricity is growing in and outside Japan and this is making it increasingly important that there is a highly reliable supply of electricity. Switchgear are critical components in electric power distribution systems and have an important role in ensuring a stable supply of electricity. In addition to their basic purpose of providing a safe and highly reliable supply of electric power, switchgear must also satisfy requirements of low cost, low maintenance, and environmental performance. It is against this background that Hitachi, with the aim of supporting electricity distribution around the world, utilized its proprietary vacuum technology and its technology for electromagnetic actuators to develop the 24-kV cubicle type vacuum-insulated switchgear (C-VIS) for the international electricity distribution market. The C-VIS complies with IEC standards.