NESEA's History

NESEA was formed in 1974 in the middle of an energy crisis when oil was in short supply and gas prices skyrocketed. A group of builders, architects, engineers, and homeowners decided to band together to design and construct solar buildings that required little or no oil or other fossil fuels. The group called themselves the New England Solar Energy Association (NESEA). They held monthly luncheon meetings at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), as well as workshops for builders and homeowners on such topics as solar water heaters.

Even in its earliest years, NESEA organized major regional conferences and published a newsletter to serve as a networking medium for people interested in technological developments, market trends, and government policies related to energy consumption.

Growth and Name Change

In 1985, the New England group joined with similar groups that had started in metropolitan New York and elsewhere in the Mid-Atlantic states. The new organization retained the NESEA acronym, but it now stood for the Northeast Solar Energy Association and embraced the entire region from Maine to Washington, DC.

During the 1980s, NESEA expanded its agenda and outreach beyond its initial solar design focus to include energy-efficient, quality building construction and transportation issues. The first annual NESEA American Tour de Sol (a solar and electric car demonstration and championship) traveled from Montpelier, Vermont to Boston, Massachusetts in 1989. To reflect NESEA's broadened agenda, the organization again changed its name-to the current Northeast Sustainable Energy Association, but the acronym remained NESEA.        

NESEA Finds a Permanent Home

In 1994, NESEA moved to its current headquarters, a former railroad administration building in the center of Greenfield, Massachusetts. When taking over the building, the organization made a commitment to create a community park and educational green space on the land adjacent to the building. The resulting Greenfield Energy Park opened five years later.  In 2008, NESEA transferred full operation of the park to the city of Greenfield.

Narrowing the Organizational Focus

In 2004 and 2005, NESEA's Board narrowed the regional organizational focus to support practitioners operating in the field of energy sustainability or teaching about sustainablity.  This shift in the Association's core mission meant eliminating programs designed to educate consumers. 

At the same time, NESEA is expanding the number of its local chapters.  While the regional NESEA organization serves professionals, these local semi-independent organizations serve as the public face of NESEA work with both professionals and consumers.

Read about the people who helped form NESEA in the Northeast Sun article "NESEA Pioneers."