In this paper, a new context-based image contrast enhancement process using energy curve equalization (ECE) with a clipping limit has been proposed. In a fundamental anomaly to the existing contrast enhancement practice using histogram equalization, the projected method uses the energy curve. The computation of the energy curve utilizes a modified Hopfield neural network architecture. This process embraces the image's spatial adjacency information to the energy curve. For each intensity level, the energy value is calculated and the overall energy curve appears to be smoother than the histogram. A clipping limit applies to evade the over enhancement and is chosen as the average of the mean and median value. The clipped energy curve is subdivided into three regions based on the standard deviation value. Each part of the subdivided energy curve is equalized individually, and the final enhanced image is produced by combining transfer functions computed by the equalization process. The projected scheme's qualitative and quantitative efficiency is assessed by comparing it with the conventional histogram equalization techniques with and without the clipping limit.