Automated control of a power network is provided by: providing multiple intelligent power controllers (IPCs) associated with multiple components of the power network, each IPC being associated with a different component; obtaining at least one raw data stream representative of at least one operational aspect of at least one component of the multiple components; and automatically associating, by at least one intelligent power controller associated with at least one component, metadata with the at least one raw data stream to produce at least one self-identifying data stream. The associated metadata describes one or more characteristics of the at least one raw data stream, and the at least one self-identifying data stream facilitates automated creation of predictive process models to assist in automated control of the power network by an IPC manager of the power network.