ABSTRACT
Neighborhood Energy Centers (NECs) are a Philadelphia-based network of grant-funded offices that help households learn about and apply for energy assistance. In operation for decades, NECs have been described as “one-stop-shops” where households can apply for different forms of aid, receive budget counselling, and obtain referrals to other programmes, increasingly solar energy programmes. In this chapter, we describe the NEC model, how the pandemic impacted operations and led to innovation, and how these community-based hubs are situated within the broader movement to decarbonise Philadelphia, PA, United States.
This study is based on a three-year ethnographic study of energy vulnerability in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania (2019–2021). Data collection included 234 structured interviews between May 2020 and June 2021, focusing on subjects ability to make utility bill payments and receive assistance. This was followed by 102 open-ended interviews in summer 2021. We also conducted participant observation at dozens of events during this period, including public energy education workshops, conferences, and webinars for professionals, as well as monthly administrative meetings and trainings for Philadelphia's network of energy counsellors. This was followed by 20 key informant interviews with experts working in the energy assistance sector.
Our findings suggest that NECs with the strongest referral programmes may be best positioned to help energy-vulnerable households mitigate harm, given that energy vulnerability stems from a complex dynamic that exceeds affordable energy access alone. We also point out how NECs are poised to help accelerate an urban energy transition, which is in the works at the municipal level.
