Method for controlling a power plant for generating and providing energy in the form of various products selected from a group comprising heating, cooling, superheated steam, hot water and electrical power, wherein the power plant comprises at least one power plant block having at least one system for thermally converting primary energy, at least one water-steam circuit having at least one turbine, and at least one generator, the method comprising the following method steps: a) measuring and monitoring physical variables of at least the system for thermally converting primary energy and the water-steam circuit, b) recording the measured physical variables using a device for electronic data processing, c) establishing at least one prediction of the energy requirement that is expected to be provided in a prediction period according to the amount and type of product to be provided, d) establishing at least one prediction of a temporally variable expected maximum and minimum generation capacity of the power plant, taking into account various possible operating modes for a specified prediction period and taking into account the continuously monitored and/or recorded variables, wherein the prediction is established taking into account one or more parameters selected from a group comprising - the heating value and/or the combustion value of the fuel supplied to the combustion system, - current and recorded meteorological data, - meteorological forecast data. e) establishing a schedule as a control specification for the operation of the power plant between full load and part load and/or between different operating modes of the power plant within the prediction period using an algorithm which optimizes the operation and/or operating mode of the power plant under predetermined boundary conditions as a function of the predictions, and using the device for electronic data processing, wherein the optimization is carried out with the optimization objective of achieving the best possible fulfillment of a given load requirement according to the type and amount of the product to be provided in the form of district heating and/or district cooling and/or superheated steam and/or hot water and/or electrical power, and f) controlling the operation of the power plant between full load and part load and/or controlling different operating modes of the power plant and/or adjusting the ratio of the products provided relative to one another according to the control specification of the schedule. a) measuring and monitoring physical variables of at least the system for thermally converting primary energy and the water-steam circuit, b) recording the measured physical variables using a device for electronic data processing, c) establishing at least one prediction of the energy requirement that is expected to be provided in a prediction period according to the amount and type of product to be provided, d) establishing at least one prediction of a temporally variable expected maximum and minimum generation capacity of the power plant, taking into account various possible operating modes for a specified prediction period and taking into account the continuously monitored and/or recorded variables, wherein the prediction is established taking into account one or more parameters selected from a group comprising - the heating value and/or the combustion value of the fuel supplied to the combustion system, - current and recorded meteorological data, - meteorological forecast data. - the heating value and/or the combustion value of the fuel supplied to the combustion system, - current and recorded meteorological data, - meteorological forecast data. e) establishing a schedule as a control specification for the operation of the power plant between full load and part load and/or between different operating modes of the power plant within the prediction period using an algorithm which optimizes the operation and/or operating mode of the power plant under predetermined boundary conditions as a function of the predictions, and using the device for electronic data processing, wherein the optimization is carried out with the optimization objective of achieving the best possible fulfillment of a given load requirement according to the type and amount of the product to be provided in the form of district heating and/or district cooling and/or superheated steam and/or hot water and/or electrical power, and f) controlling the operation of the power plant between full load and part load and/or controlling different operating modes of the power plant and/or adjusting the ratio of the products provided relative to one another according to the control specification of the schedule.