Though thousands of Nashvillians had their power restored over the weekend, Mayor Freddie O'Connell and other leaders expressed their frustrations with Nashville Electric Service.
During the weekend, NES released a timeline stating when full power restoration can be expected to return. That date is now Feb. 9 in some ZIP codes, meaning some families and businesses are expected to go without power for nearly two weeks. Five people in Nashville have died as a result of the storm, according to the Metro Nashville Police Department.
"What I learned [Sunday] is that NES is unequipped to communicate about a crisis," Mayor Freddie O'Connell said.
Mayor says NES has struggled to address power outages across the city; utility company holds separate press conference in Madison
"Nashvillians can’t get the last week back — nights huddled under blankets, unplanned shelter or hotel stays, the uncertainty and fear of not knowing what’s happening and how long it will take to simply return home," the mayor's statement continues. "And that’s why it’s so troubling that details NES leadership shared about their internal outlook — that they hadn’t previously shared with us — would’ve had a huge impact on the public guidance we gave from the beginning of the crisis. That is unacceptable."
As of Monday morning, nearly 30,000 homes and businesses were still without power. NES has deployed 1,278 line workers in the field, with crews hailing from Florida, Maryland, Kentucky, Indiana, Ohio and Mississippi. At least 257 vegetation crew members are also piecing the area back together. More than 600 power poles were broken by the winter storm.
NES and the mayor's office are separate entities, though the mayor appoints members to the utility's board. Metro councilmembers have also pushed back on the NES restoration timelines in their own statements. State lawmakers say they are already eyeing bills for disaster preparedness.
"Over the next 24 hours, they’re anticipating adding another 500 linemen to join their efforts," O'Connell said of NES. "Their estimates have improved, and I pushed them to overperform even their best estimates for restoration of power. And Nashvillians and I are going to hold them accountable."
On Monday morning, O'Connell announced the issuance of Executive Order 58 — an order "establishing a Commission to Review Preparation and Response to the January 2026 Winter Storm."
The mayor says the commission will hold hearings and request the assistance of the Metro auditor, and is expected to return its initial findings within six months.
NES has not responded to the mayor's comments.
This article was first published by our sister publication, the Nashville Post.
