The Neighborhood Energy Network is a network of community health, social justice, environmental justice and energy advocates seeking energy solutions for our neighborhoods. Using local resources and NEN experience, each neighborhood organizes its own forum to educate people about energy choices that are healthier, ensure human comfort, save money, are safer for the environment, and are more sustainable. Each forum has a distinctive local flair. If you are interested in convening a forum and forming a chapter in your neighborhood, NEN will be glad to help with speaker recommendations and other advice to adapt our general format to your neighborhood.

As a result of these educational forums, participants often start energy efficiency and energy conservation projects or install solar systems. Members network to effect change for energy solutions that reduce pollution, improve health, increase comfort and improve job opportunities within neighborhoods. Current initiatives include Greening A Block and legislative proposals. Past initiatives include the buying and distributing of 900 CFLs (compact fluorescent light bulbs) by the Central Brooklyn chapter.

NEN has sponsored or co-sponsored the following events:

• January 31, 2004 Neighborhood Energy Forum, 11:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m., Lower East Side
• February 4, 8:00 p.m., Chris Benedict and Henry Gifford: A Presentation and Tour of Affordable Green Housing, Lower East Side
• February 22, Neighborhood Energy Forum, 2:00 to 5:00 p.m., All Souls Church, Upper East Side
• May 25, 6:30 p.m., Henry Gifford: Energy Audits, Comunity Garden, Lower East Side
• June 19, Neighborhood Energy Forum, 12:00 to 5:00 p.m., Central Brooklyn
• July 14, 7:00 p.m., Tour of Solar and Green Nassau Ice House, Brooklyn
• October 1, Steven Strong's presentation, "Solar: Here and Now," Cooper Union
• October 25, Neighborhood Energy Forum, 7:30 to 10:00 p.m., Williamsburg/Greenpoint, Brooklyn
• December 4, 1:30 p.m., Richard Klein: Tour of Photovoltaic and Solar Thermal Installations, Greenwich Village
• April 29, 2005, 3:00 p.m., Anthony Pereira: Tour of Windmill at 34th Street and East River; Jameel Ahmad: discussion of Verdant's East River Tidal Wave Power Plant, Midtown
• June 6, 7:00 p.m., "The End of Suburbia," screening and discussion with producers, Cooper Union, Manhattan
• June 27, 7:00 p.m., Clint Walker: Urban Clean Energy Trends, Friends Meeting House
• July 21, 7:00 p.m., community forum for Greening a Block project, Lower East Side
• August 27, Neighborhood Energy Forum, 12:00 to 5:00 p.m., All-Saints Church, Sunnyside, Queens
• September 8, 7:30 p.m., "The End of Suburbia," screening in a community garden, Lower East Side
• September 15, 7:00 p.m., Tom Wysmuller: "The Colder Side of Global Warmingİ," Friends Meeting House
• November 3, 7:00 p.m., Ken Kimball and Jameel Ahmad, "Wind and Tide," Seafarers International House
• November 10, 6:30 p.m., Alfred Cavallo, "The Beginning of the End of Cheap Oil," Friends Meeting House
• January 18, 2006, 6:30 p.m., Interfaith Panel on Faith-Based Energy Politics, Friends Meeting House
• February 23, 6:30 p.m., Ecumenical Panel on Faith-Based Energy Politics, Friends Meeting House
• September 21, 6:30 p.m., Climate Change, Peak Oil, and the Permaculture Solution, Friends Meeting House

Experts (a more complete and detailed list is available on the Speakers Page) who have donated their time for NEN events include:

• Dr. Jameel Ahmad, Director, The Cooper Union Research Foundation
• Chris Benedict and Henry Gifford, who build green multi-family housing on the Lower East Side at no extra cost, but 1/5 the fuel for heating and hot water and half the common area electricity of typical construction
• Wendy Brawer, Executive Director of Green Map
• Ken Gale, co-host of WBAI-FM's Eco-Logic
• Richard Klein, who installed the first solar thermal system in Greenwich Village
• Charles Komanoff, co-founder of Greening a Block
• Anthony Pereira, president of NYSEIA, who installed the wind turbine on the East River
• Jeff Perlman, founder of BASIC: Big Apple Solar Installation Commitment and co-founder of Greening a Block
• Alnardo Rodriguez, Executive Director of Open Road
• Steven Strong, who put the solar panels back on the White House
• Dean Zias, NYC Energy $mart Communities Outreach Coordinator for NYSERDA

Lower Washington Heights Neighborhood Association, which is a 501(c)3 entity, serves as fiscal agent for NEN.

If you would like to learn more, or start a forum in your neighborhood, or join people working in your neighborhood, please contact us or look through this website, http://www.neighborhoodenergynetwork.org.