Abstract: Synchrotron radiation from an electron storage ring holds many advantages such as stability, broad spectrum, multi-users supporting. However, it lacks coherence. When the coherent radiation is produced from a storage ring, not only the coherence of the light is enhanced, but also the flux, brightness and the energy resolution of the light can be remarkably improved. As the flux is further increased, the power of the radiation may reach the requirement of industry. This paper presents a review of various kinds of electron storage ring based coherent light sources and gives an outlook of its development.