A combined cycle power plant system that includes: a gas turbine operably connected to a heat recovery steam generator; a first controller for optimizing a shutdown operation defined between an initiating shutdown command and a terminating event, wherein the first is controller configured to execute the steps of: receiving the shutdown initiating command; receiving operating parameters measured by sensors for each of a first component and a second component of the combined cycle power plant, and, based thereupon, determining a current state for each of the first and the second component; based on the current state, deriving an optimized shutdown operating mode for transitioning the first component and the second component from the current state to a shutdown state. A second controller may be configured to: transform the optimized shutdown operating mode into commands configured to actuate mechanical control devices of the first component and the second component so that the shutdown operation proceeds according to the optimized shutdown operating mode.