Methods and systems for enhancing control of power plant generating units

A method for optimizing a generation of an output level over a selected operating period by a power block, wherein the power block comprises multiple gas turbines for collectively generating the output level, the control method including the steps of:

• receiving current state data regarding measured operating parameters for each of the gas turbines of the power block;
• based on the current state data, defining competing operating modes for the power block, wherein each of the competing operating modes comprises a unique generating configuration for the power block;
• based on the generating configurations of each of the competing operating modes, deriving a predicted value for a performance parameter regarding the operation of the power block over the selected operating period;
• determining a cost function and, pursuant thereto, evaluating the operation of the power block based on the predicted value of the performance parameter so to determine a projected cost;
• and
• comparing the projected costs from each of the optimized operating modes so to select therefrom an optimized operating mode.