A cylindrical TM010 microwave cavity has been used not only to determine the average electron density decay rates in a plasma afterglow, but also to heat the electrons. In this way it was possible to measure the electron temperature dependence of the recombination coefficient of Ne2+ ions with electrons. At Te=300 K, a value of α(Ne2+)=(1·8±0·1)×10−7 cm3 s−1 was obtained. Over the range 300 less-than-or-eq, slant Te less-than-or-eq, slant 1500 K, α(Ne2+) decreased as Te−0.36.