Turn Power into Profit with Demand Response & RERT

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Did you know your generator isn't just for backup power? With Demand Response & RERT, you can actively participate in Australia's energy market and earn money while supporting the grid.

Imagine the electricity grid like a giant see-saw.

• On one side: Electricity Supply (power stations, solar, wind, batteries etc.)
• On the other side: Electricity demand (homes, businesses, factories all using power)

The goal is to keep the see-saw balanced, every second of the day – supply needs to match demand.

But sometimes, especially during heatwaves or unexpected failures, demand gets too high, or supply drops suddenly. If it gets too unbalanced, the grid can fail – causing blackouts.

That’s where demand response comes in.

Demand response is when energy uses (like factories or businesses) agree to reduce or shift their electricity use when the grid is under stress.

For example: 

•  A big cold storage facility agrees to turn off their chillers for 30 minutes.
•  A manufacturer pauses machines for an hour.
•  An office building dims lights and turns off air conditioning/heating.

This reduces demand, helping keep the see-saw balanced – and avoid blackouts.

In return, the energy uses usually get paid or rewarded for helping the grid.

The Reliability and Emergency Reserve trader (RERT) is a backup safety plan run by the Australian Energy Market Operator (AEMO).

Think of RERT like – “The grid’s emergency contact list.”

AEMO keeps a list of businesses and organisations that can quickly reduce demand or provide extra power (like turning on backup generators) during emergencies.

These resources are not used every day – only when:

• Theres a high risk of blackout.
•  Normal market solutions aren’t enough. (generator bidding, high prices, batteries and fast-start generators, market-based demand response)