US EditionMayor Blasts NES for Power Restoration, Communication After Epic Ice Storm
Mayor O'Connell created a nine-member commission with subpoena powers to review Nashville Electric Service's preparation and response to Winter Storm Fern after over 200,000 lost power.
- On Monday, Feb. 2, 2026, Nashville Mayor Freddie O'Connell issued Executive Order 58 creating a nine-member special commission with subpoena and investigative powers to review Nashville Electric Service's response, mandating initial findings within six months.
- After the storm knocked out power to 230,000 customers, criticism grew over communication failures, botched text alerts and union linemen allegations, while WSMV4 Investigates found cuts to the tree-trimming budget and a 10% CEO raise.
- The nine-member panel includes seven mayoral appointees as community experts, Vice Mayor Angie Henderson and At-large Metro Nashville Council member Delishia Porterfield, and can hold hearings with Metropolitan Auditor assistance.
- Immediate implications include more than 22,700 NES customers remaining without power and a February 10th special-called Metro Council meeting to question NES' preparedness, with Mayor O'Connell evaluating legal authority for board changes.
- There is precedent in the 2020 Christmas Day bombing commission, as the commission full report is due within a year.
9 Articles
9 Articles
NES CEO received raise two months before company faced scrutiny over storm preparedness
Nashville Electric Service CEO Teresa Broyles-Aplin received a 10% raise two months ago, according to NES records, as criticism mounts over the utility’s response to last week’s ice storm.
Nashville’s Dem Mayor Slams Electric Service He Just Praised As City Hits 9 Days Without Power
Nashville Democratic Mayor Freddie O’Connell blasted the city’s electric service over the weekend just days after praising its efforts to restore power to residents left in the cold.O’Connell said that he met with Nashville Electric Service (NES) leaders on Sunday and told them that the agency’s response and messaging around widespread power outages has been “unacceptable.” Tens of thousands of Nashville reside
Sen. Marsha Blackburn Blasts 'Entirely Insufficient' NES Letter Claiming 'Robust Tree-Trimming Program' Despite $7 Million Cut in 2024
U.S. Senator Marsha Blackburn (R-TN) on Sunday said the Nashville Electric Service (NES) response to her letter was "entirely insufficient" as she seeks answers for the company's week-long power outage following a winter storm.
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