1. A demand response dispatch prediction system, comprising: baseline data stores, configured to store a plurality of baseline energy use data sets for buildings participating in a demand response program; a building lag optimizer, configured to receive identifiers for said buildings, and configured to retrieve said plurality of baseline energy use data sets from said baseline data stores for said buildings, and configured to generate energy use data sets for each of said buildings, each of said energy use data sets comprising energy consumption values along with corresponding time and outside temperature values, wherein said energy consumption values within said each of said energy use data sets are shifted by one of a plurality of lag values relative to said corresponding time and outside temperature values, and wherein each of said plurality of lag values is different from other ones of said plurality of lag values, and configured to perform a regression analysis on said each of said energy use data sets to yield corresponding regression model parameters and a corresponding residual, and configured to determine a least valued residual from all residuals yielded, said least valued residual indicating a corresponding energy lag for said each of said buildings, and regression model parameters that correspond to said least valued residual; a dispatch prediction element, coupled to said building lag optimizer and to weather stores, configured to receive, for each of said buildings, outside temperatures, said corresponding energy lag, and said corresponding regression model parameters, and configured to estimate a cumulative energy consumption for said buildings, and configured to predict a dispatch order reception time for a demand response program event.