An apparatus for controlling a power converter including a voltage-vector control unit that determines, based on voltage instruction value for the power converter, a voltage vector output from a power converter in one control cycle of pulse width modulation control and times for outputting of the voltage vector, a voltage-vector adjusting unit that adjusts the time of outputting of the voltage vector so that time of outputting of a zero-voltage vector is larger than a fixed time or zero, and a firing-pulse generating unit that generates a signal for turning on and off a semiconductor switching element included in the power converter, based on the time of outputting of the voltage vector adjusted by the voltage-vector adjusting unit.