High‐voltage high‐current pulses of electrical energy (700 V, 14 A, 10 kW) are generated with efficiencies greater than 0.1% for a duration of 30 nsec when a 3–4‐J CO2TEA laser is focused on a copper cathode in a special vacuum cell designed to collect the ejected high‐energy electrons. Potential applications as a high‐voltage source and as a detector are discussed.