Thousands are still without power in Nashville, and the state’s top lawmakers say they are eyeing oversight of the Nashville Electric Service.
NES has struggled to bring back electricity to the city after more than 230,000 customers were left without power at the start of a winter storm that paralyzed the electric grid. Some residents and small businesses still won’t have power until the weekend.
State House Speaker Cameron Sexton (R-Crossville) tells the Scene a lawmaker within the Republican caucus will file a caption bill during this legislative session to have further oversight over NES. The bill filing deadline in the Tennessee legislature is this week.
City and NES both face blowback for extended power outages and poor public communication
“NES’ lack of a strategic disaster relief plan, pro-tree-canopy policy and being more concerned about a DEI contract renewal — all of which jeopardized public safety — requires executive management to be fired and the board to be replaced,” Sexton says. “In contrast, our rural electric cooperatives focused on the customer, [were] much more prepared, had more lineman and showed exactly how to work effectively and efficiently to restore power. The General Assembly will explore every option available with the stance NES cannot stay the same. NES failed not some customers, but all.”
Sexton says he isn’t sure what the makeup of the bill will be or who will carry it. House Majority Leader William Lamberth (R-Portland) called NES leadership incompetent.
“That is unacceptable, but should not reflect the heroic efforts of the employees and linemen who worked night and day under challenging conditions created by the same leadership,” Lamberth says. “The public deserves a full and transparent explanation of how such critical infrastructure collapsed. We will demand accountability and take action to ensure no family ever pays such a terrible price again.”
At a press conference Tuesday afternoon, Mayor Freddie O’Connell said he would like to keep NES within local control. Other entities in the Metro government have faced the possibility of state oversight, including the Metro Sports Authority and the Metro Nashville Airport Authority. The legislature also created a bill to reduce the size of Nashville’s Metro Council.
The mayor has appointment power over the board, but a spokesperson from O’Connell’s office says they are still exploring the mayor’s full authority over the five-person body.
“We will be interested to see what comes out of those discussions,” O’Connell said. “[Former state representative and current Metro legislative affairs chief] Darren Jernigan will stay in touch with the speaker's office. We will track what they are discussing. We have many assets. We know they expand beyond Davidson. Our preference is always to have local control over local assets.”
“Accountability is important, and I right now we are in active recovery, but we have plenty of time to do after-action, review and evaluate things that we could have done better,” said NES CEO Teresa Broyles-Aplin during a Tuesday press conference when asked about calls for her resignation by some state lawmakers.
“We are committed to working with all of our political leadership," she said when asked about calls for more oversight from legislators.
Hamilton Matthew Masters contributed reporting.
