National Energy Foundation

What National Energy Foundation does

National Energy Foundation (NEF) is a 501-style nonprofit educational organization incorporated in New York in January 1976 and headquartered in Salt Lake City, Utah, with a regional office in Michigan opened July 2011. It designs and delivers standards-correlated K-12 energy literacy curriculum and programs — Think! Energy (energy efficiency), Energy Safe Kids (natural gas and electric safety), and rEV (electric vehicle education) — reaching approximately 600,000 students annually across all 50 U.S. states through in-class presentations by NEF professionals, teacher-directed kits, student competitions, and destination field trips.

NEF operates a B2B2C model in which utilities and energy companies (including DTE, PPL, Ameren Illinois, Consumers Energy, AES, PNM, Pacific Corp, Southwest, Arkansas, and Nisco) act as commercial sponsors and co-brand the educational materials that NEF distributes to schools. Underlying technology includes a proprietary Registration Suite (integrating enrollment, shipping, data collection, and reporting) and a real-time Data Reporting Dashboard that gives utility sponsors visibility into program metrics and verified energy savings averaging 33+ million kWh and 33,000+ MWh annually. NEF also produces the National Energy Literacy Survey (2017, 2022, 2025 waves; 5,000+ students), conducts water conservation and energy-workforce development programs, and operates an NEF Store selling posters, books, kits, and teaching resources directly via e-commerce (priced $2–$9 per item with quantity discounts up to 50%).

Revenue is generated through utility sponsorship fees, custom curriculum development contracts, and direct product sales. NEF is governed by a Board of Directors under President and CEO Elissa Richards, with Janet Hatch (COO), Wayne Bonner (CFO), and Gary Swan (CMO) rounding out the C-suite. The organization is privately held and operates exclusively within the United States (no international distribution).

Name

National Energy Foundation

Legal name

National Energy Foundation

Website

https://nef1.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1976

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

51–100 employees

Short description

National Energy Foundation (NEF) is a 50-year-old nonprofit that designs K-12 energy, safety, and electric vehicle curriculum delivered through utility-sponsored programs across all 50 U.S. states.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

K-12 Energy Education Services

NAICS

Educational Services (611), Office Supplies, Stationery, and Gift Retailers (4594)

akta.pro primary industry

K–12 Instructional Design & Curriculum Development Services (EDAGAKAA)

akta.pro secondary industries

Core Subject Textbooks (ELA, Math, Science, Social Studies) (EDAGAAAA), Kids Crafts & Educational Craft Kits Retail (CRALACAG)

Keywords

• K-12 energy education
• STEM curriculum development
• Utility sponsored programs
• Energy literacy initiatives
• Safety education curricula

Headquarters

HQ city

Salt Lake City

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Supply Chain, Others

Revenue model

1. Utility Sponsorships: Utilities and energy companies sponsor NEF programs to reach schools and communities with energy efficiency, safety, and EV education messages. Programs are customized with sponsor branding.
2. NEF Store Product Sales: Sale of educational materials including posters, books, kits, and teaching resources through the NEF e-commerce store.
3. Custom Curriculum Development: Custom curriculum development services for organizations requiring branded educational materials and programs.
4. Teacher-Directed Programs: Distribution of energy and water efficiency kits with educational materials to classrooms, with customization and verified savings reporting.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

National Energy Foundation designs and delivers K-12 energy, water, and natural resources educational programs (Think! Energy, Energy Safe Kids, rEV, and supporting curricula), sold primarily to utility sponsors and delivered to schools through in-class presentations, teacher-directed kits, and custom-branded materials. The NEF Store also sells educational posters, books, and kits directly to consumers, teachers, and small organizations.

Product overview

National Energy Foundation (NEF) offers a comprehensive portfolio of educational programs and services focused on energy literacy for K-12 students and their families. The core programs include Think! Energy (energy efficiency), Energy Safe Kids (natural gas and electric safety), and rEV (electric vehicle education). These are complemented by service offerings including Curriculum Development, Teacher-Directed Programs, In-class Presentations, Teacher Professional Development, Teacher Materials Distribution, Student Competitions, Student Camps, Energy Workforce Development, and Water Conservation Programs. NEF also conducts the National Energy Literacy Survey, a research product tracking student energy knowledge over time. The organization operates on a school-to-home model, enabling students to share energy literacy concepts with their families.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Think! Energy: Energy efficiency program reaching students and families with a proven school-to-home approach.
• Energy Safe Kids
• rEV
• Academy of Natural Gas Education
• Academy of Electric Education

Products and services

• Think! Energy Energy efficiency program that reaches K-12 students and their families through a school-to-home approach, sponsored by utilities and delivered via in-class presentations and take-home materials.
• Energy Safe Kids (ESK) Energy safety program with components and materials to help organizations build effective strategies for natural gas and electric safety education for K-12 students.
• rEV Electric Vehicle Program Electric vehicle educational experience driving EV adoption through interactive presentations and STEM-based multimedia curriculum for students in grades 7-12, sponsored by utilities and energy companies.
• Curriculum Development Services Custom curriculum development services producing award-winning materials including posters, brochures, take-home materials, websites and games, with correlation to Common Core and state learning standards, tailored for organizational sponsors.
• Teacher-Directed Programs Programs providing energy and water efficiency kits with curriculum addressing energy literacy topics, where teachers conduct the program in the classroom with follow-up data collection handled by NEF.
• In-class Presentations Live presentations delivered by NEF professionals directly in K-12 classrooms, featuring interactive and engaging educational experiences on energy, water, safety, EV, and workforce topics.
• Teacher Professional Development In-depth energy literacy training for teachers using hands-on methods, with materials integrated with STEM and correlated to national and state learning standards.
• Student Camps Destination field trips for students to energy facilities including national labs, power plants, and hydroelectric dams, complete with learning lunches featuring industry expert speakers.
• Student Competitions Custom formatted competitions allowing students to design creative solutions to energy issues, with rewards including educational trips, scholarships, and solar backpacks.
• Energy Workforce Development Programs helping students discover career opportunities in the energy sector through curriculum, materials, and career exploration tools for educators, delivered in partnership with the Center for Energy Workforce Development.
• Water Conservation Programs In-class presentations and self-directed programs for water education and savings, customizable to help reach classrooms with custom-branded kits and materials, often sponsored by utilities.
• NEF Store Educational Materials Direct-to-customer e-commerce sales of educational posters, books, kits, Energy Sticks, and teaching resources priced $2.00–$9.00 per item, with quantity discounts up to 50% and custom poster printing services.
• National Energy Literacy Survey National research product measuring high school students' attitudes, knowledge, and behavior regarding energy, with data collected across 5,000+ students in 2017, 2022, and 2025.
• Out of the Rock (OOTR) Workshop Educator workshop providing mining and minerals education curriculum and training to elementary and middle school teachers, sponsored by industry partners such as the Idaho Mining Association.
• Energy Action Patrols Student energy patrol program for schools focused on energy efficiency behaviors and engagement, part of NEF's portfolio of K-12 energy efficiency offerings.
• ICE Program ICE K-12 energy education program as part of NEF's portfolio of sponsored curricula delivered to schools.

Quantifiable outcome

• 33+ million kWh saved on average with NEF programs
• +5 more outcomes

Named customers12 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature3 records

Partnerships

14 partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• DTEcoreGTM or Marketing PartnerDTE is a major utility sponsor for NEF's Think! Energy program, supporting energy efficiency education delivery to schools in Michigan. Programs include classroom presentations and take-home materials.
• PPLcoreGTM or Marketing PartnerPPL Electric Utilities partners with NEF for school programs including the Bright Ideas Poster Contest and Innovation Challenge, reaching students in PPL territory.
• Ameren IllinoiscoreGTM or Marketing PartnerAmeren Illinois sponsors NEF energy education programs for schools in their service territory.
• Consumers EnergycoreGTM or Marketing PartnerConsumers Energy is a utility sponsor for NEF programs supporting energy education in Michigan schools.
• AEScoreGTM or Marketing PartnerAES Corporation sponsors NEF energy education programs.
• PNM (PNM Resources)coreGTM or Marketing PartnerPNM partnered with NEF for the Innovation program, reaching over 2,500 high school students in 14 New Mexico schools in September 2019.
• Idaho Mining AssociationcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerIdaho Mining Association has sponsored the Out of the Rock (OOTR) Workshop for 22+ consecutive years, providing mining and minerals education curriculum to elementary and middle school educators in Idaho.
• Center for Energy Workforce DevelopmentcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerNEF has partnered with the Center for Energy Workforce Development to provide energy workforce development strategies and curriculum for students exploring energy careers.
• Cicero Social ImpactminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerNEF partnered with Cicero Social Impact, a market research firm, to conduct the National Energy Literacy Survey of high school students (2017, 2022, 2025).
• AABE (American Association of Black Energists)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerNEF announced partnership with AABE to support energy education and workforce development initiatives.
• SouthwestminorGTM or Marketing PartnerSouthwest utility company sponsors NEF energy education programs.
• ArkansasminorGTM or Marketing PartnerArkansas utility sponsor for NEF programs.
• Pacific CorpminorGTM or Marketing PartnerPacific Corp sponsors NEF energy education programs.
• NiscominorGTM or Marketing PartnerNisco is a sponsor for NEF energy education programs.

Scale indicators9 records

Recent moves8 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• NEED (National Energy Education Development Project): Nonprofit that develops and distributes K-12 energy curriculum and teacher training with similar utility-sponsor and workshop distribution model. Closest direct competitor to NEF's core curriculum mission.
• Alliance to Save Energy: Nonprofit focused on energy efficiency policy and education, with K-12 programming (PowerSave Schools) and corporate/utility partnerships. Direct peer in energy literacy advocacy and utility-sponsored education.
• Project Learning Tree (American Forest Foundation): Environmental education nonprofit delivering standards-aligned K-12 curriculum and teacher professional development funded by corporate sponsors. Comparable K-12 environmental education delivery model.
• EarthEcho International: Environmental education nonprofit founded by Philippe Cousteau Jr. producing K-12 STEM curricula and resources with corporate/foundation sponsors. Peer in sponsor-funded environmental STEM education.
• Keep America Beautiful: Nonprofit delivering K-12 environmental and sustainability education through corporate sponsors and affiliates. Comparable model of sponsor-branded environmental curriculum for schools.
• Eco-Schools USA (National Wildlife Federation): International K-12 sustainability education framework operating in US through the National Wildlife Federation with sponsored programming. Peer in standards-aligned environmental education.

Emerging players

• Watt Watchers: Smaller energy-conservation education program targeting K-12 schools with classroom kits and teacher resources. Emerging player with overlapping teacher-directed energy-efficiency kit distribution.

Broad incumbents

• Discovery Education: Large-scale K-12 digital curriculum platform with corporate-sponsored STEM and energy content modules. Broad incumbent that can substitute parts of NEF's curriculum with scaled, lower-cost digital delivery.
• BrainPOP: Major K-12 digital content subscription service covering STEM topics including energy and the environment. Broad incumbent that competes for school district curriculum budgets and teacher attention.

Regional players

• iEARN (International Education and Resource Network): Global K-12 collaborative learning nonprofit with project-based curriculum including sustainability themes. Comparable nonprofit K-12 model with curriculum-distribution scale, though international footprint rather than US utility-sponsor focused.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks7 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/nationalenergyfoundation
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/national-energy-foundation-us
• Instagraminstagram.com/nationalenergyfoundation
• Xx.com/nefenergy

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles10 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about National Energy Foundation