The EU213 EUREKA Excimer Laser project is aimed at the development of a 1kW average power excimer laser by 1992. In order to realize this goal, part of the UK programme will be to explore the possibility of creating a 1kW laser with a repetition rate approaching 10 kHz. In order to investigate the problems of, for example, gas flow, preionisation and pulse power at such a high repetition rate, an XeCl test bed laser has been assembled at Culham Laboratory: the Compact HIgh Repetition rate (CHIRP) laser. The CHIRP laser is a fast flow discharge pumped,UV corona preionised excimer laser. One of the major considerations in developing a 1 kW system is the electrical input to optical output conversion efficiency and its optimisation through the design of the pulse power system. The pulser circuit presently used uses a low impedance transmission line, and provides a high voltage prepulse for the main discharge. A voltage doubler circuit generates a synchronous pulse for the corona preioniser. Isolation of the prepulse is achieved by use of a ferrite saturable magnetic inductor. The typical stored energy per pulse is ~3.5 J (at 10 kV) for the main pulse,~1 J (at 25 kV) for the prepulse and ~ .2 J for the preioniser. Active switching is by deuterium filled hollow anode thyratrons. This paper discusses the design of the circuit, its operation at pulse repetition rates of ~1 kHz, and prospects of multikilohertz operation.