Demand Response Home Generator Program 

Demand Response (DR) refers to a shift or reduction in electricity usage by a utility customer to help manage demand on the electrical grid during times of peak demand. 

DR programs, also referred to as Virtual Power Plant (VPP) programs in the Mobile Link app, not only reward participants, but as more customers participate the need for additional generation is also reduced, which lowers the cost of energy for all customers.  DR/VPP programs are typically more efficient and less damaging to the environment because they utilize existing infrastructure over building new power plants. 

As the market leader in backup power generation, Generac, in partnership with DTE Energy, is proud to offer Home Standby Generator owners a way to earn rewards while helping support the integrity of the grid, at critical times.

The Demand Response Home Generator Program helps keep the lights on for DTE electric customers by reducing load on the grid and providing the capacity DTE needs during emergency situations.

The program is available to customers that meet the following conditions:

• Live in Michigan in an area served by DTE Energy (DTE).
• Receive electricity from DTE.
• Have an installed or soon to be installed Generac Guardian Home Standby Generator (16kW or larger, fueled by natural gas, air cooled only).
• Home Standby Generator is connected to an active internet source (Wi-Fi or cellular) and owner has a premium or dealer managed subscription to Mobile Link.
• Have not applied or received status as a Chronic Care, Critical Care, or Critical Load designation from your Transmission and Distribution Service Provider.
• Do not operate critical life support equipment at the participating address. 

You can apply to participate in the program here to submit your application. We will review the information you provide and reply with your status within 60 days.

The Demand Response Home Generator Program will run from July, 2023 - December, 2025.

At the end of the program, Generac may contact you about future DR programs for which you may be eligible at that time, including re-enrollment in the Demand Response Home Generator Program.

You will not be charged for your participation in the program. However, you may incur additional costs for natural gas usage during DR Events.

Immediately prior to a DR Event, Generac will turn on your generator. Once we confirm the generator is working, we will shift your power source to the generator, and it will begin powering your home. This transition will take place automatically in milliseconds, and you should not notice any changes to your home energy use.

If your generator was installed with smart management module systems that turn off the largest electricity demands during the startup of your generator, you may notice a period where your air conditioner, dryer, or electric vehicle charger, for example, turns off momentarily (e.g., for five minutes), until the generator can ensure that it will meet all electricity demands. If this occurs, you may notice a power interruption to these large electrical loads during the energy event. This is unlikely to occur for customers with the 22 kW to 26kW air-cooled home standby generators; however, variations can occur depending on your home’s energy uses and the installation procedures used.

If you do not have a Mobile Link premium or dealer managed subscription, Generac will not have the ability to turn on your generator during a DR Event.

To confirm you are eligible to participate in the program, we need to gather data including your name, DTE service address and email address. This data will be shared with Generac affiliates and subcontractors for purposes of implementing the program and with DTE. Your data will never be sold to other parties. You can read more about how we collect and treat your data in Generac’s privacy policy. 

No. Once you submit your application, a member of the Generac team will review and verify that you meet all enrollment requirements. If you meet all requirements, you will receive an email confirming your enrollment.

Once we confirm over email that you are enrolled in the program, you do not need to take any action for the rest of the program. We will remotely set-up your generator and manage it during a DR Event.

If your application to join the program was denied, it is most likely because you did not meet all the enrollment requirements. The most common reasons for denial include:

• Your home contains critical care equipment
• You are not in DTE’s coverage territory
• You do not meet all the connectivity requirements
• Generator is not connected to an active Internet source (Wi-Fi, Ethernet, cellular)
• Do not have a premium or dealer managed subscription to Mobile Link

A DR Event (referred to in the Mobile Link app as a Virtual Power Plant event) is called by DTE during times of peak demand, like during a heat wave or other unforeseen event.

As part of this program, DR Events will take place between 8 a.m. and 8 p.m. EST.

 DR Events can occur at any point throughout the year. 

Each DR Event will last between one and four hours. 

Events will not exceed 40 cumulative hours per calendar year.

Depending on your configured Mobile Link notification preferences, you will receive notifications via push notification, text and/or email when an event has been scheduled (30 minutes-24 hours prior to the event start). You will also receive a secondary notification when an event has begun. In the Mobile Link app, these will be referred to as ‘Virtual Power Plant’ events. You can update notification preferences in your Mobile Link app Account Settings under Notifications. 

DTE will notify Generac when an event is called. Generac will then turn on your generator remotely. Generac will turn it off again when the event concludes. 

Yes, you can opt-out of up to two events per calendar year, throughout the duration of the program. If you opt-out of more than two events per calendar year, you will be unenrolled from the program and become ineligible to receive the end of program incentive.

Event notifications will include a link to your Mobile Link app, where you can opt-out of an event, with the click of a button. Opt-outs can be submitted before or after an event has begun. If you opt-out of an event after it begins, you may experience up to a 30-minute lag in grid power returning and your generator shutting off, to allow for appropriate generator warm-up and cool-down procedures. 

For participating, you will receive a $100 gift card up-front, plus another $250 gift card at the end of the program in December 2025. All incentives will be paid by DTE in the form of a gift card. You will receive an email at the email you used to participate in the program from the DTErewards inbox where you can select a gift card of your choice. 

The up-front incentive ($100 gift card) will be issued within 30 days of enrollment approval and confirmation that your connectivity requirements have been met.

The end of program incentive ($250 gift card) will be issued in December 2025.

You can unenroll from the program by clicking here. 

If you unenroll any time before the program has ended, you will lose eligibility to receive the end of program incentive ($250 gift card).

As a new service we’re providing to our customers, we may send you a survey over email to understand your reason for unenrollment. Although not required, we appreciate any feedback you can provide. By understanding your experiences in the program, we can further improve what we offer to you and other customers in the future.