A power supply for a load control device is disposed in series with an AC voltage source and a load and generates a substantially DC voltage for powering a controller of the load control device. The power supply is operable to provide substantially all voltage provided by the AC voltage source to the load and includes a controllably conductive device, a triggering device, and a charging circuit. The charging circuit is operable to charge an energy storage device and to conduct current to the load when the controllably conductive device is non-conductive. The controllably conductive device begins conducting the full load current when the energy storage device has charged to a predetermined amount of energy. Before the controllably conductive device begins to conduct, only a minimal voltage, which is substantially the same as the break-over voltage of the triggering circuit, develops across the power supply to allow the energy storage device to charge.