The paper presents the demand dispatch (DD) concept and applications after a thorough analysis of the main studies in the field. From distribution system operator (DSO)/utility perspective, a main DD classification split was observed: energy price strategies and incentives strategies. On the consumer side, DD methods can be divided into two control options: load shifting and load shedding, with different control approaches. At the distribution grid level, a demand dispatch control framework was proposed. A multi-criteria optimization problem was formulated, considering the 3 involved actors: the utility, the energy market and the consumer. The testing scenario was built, based on the Romanian power system context with data considered from the transport operator and the energy market.