The Brave new world in power plant operations

摘要

Within the power generation industry, the days of benchmarking and studying hte programs and capabilities of a power generating concern are over. The focus has shifted from studying what improvements are necessary to real movement forward in delivering electrical energy when needed and at lower cost. The combined impact of timed pricing, environmetnal concerns, and availability at critical times has seen increased emphasis on the development of effective power plant operations procedures and the implementation of viable operator training programs. These trends will continue and will see operations procedures and training be further recognized as very important tools for success in the operation and maintenance of power plants. A key driver will be the real-time decision making that will be necessary by power plant operators to optimize generation revenues. The knowledge and skills of operators that will be needed for a generating plants' success will also call for significant changes in organization culture.