Nashville Electric Service Board releases findings from independent review after about 50% of its customers lost power during deadly ice storm

The board recommends that NES expand its emergency response plan, update its incident command structure, develop damage prediction models and more.

Apr. 17, 2026 at 9:07pm

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The Nashville Electric Service Board has released its interim findings from an independent review of its response to the historic ice storm that swept through Middle Tennessee in late January. At the height of the storm, about 49% of NES's customers were without power, meaning more than 230,000 homes and businesses were left in the cold for days. The report highlighted several high-priority items for improvement, including expanding the Emergency Response Plan, updating the Incident Command Structure, developing a damage prediction model, and establishing a standardized process for calculating and communicating Estimated Time of Restoration.

Why it matters

NES was under scrutiny from customers, lawmakers and more for their response to the winter storm that caused widespread outages. The independent review is an effort to assess the utility's performance and identify areas for improvement to better prepare for future large-scale outage events.

The details

The report stated the following as high-priority items for improvement: expand the Emergency Response Plan and training programs for large-scale outage events, update the Incident Command Structure consistent with FEMA's National Incident Management System, develop a damage prediction model to guide resource planning and restoration efforts, establish a standardized process for calculating and communicating Estimated Time of Restoration, and develop a unified, storm-specific communications protocol. The report also shared 'areas of strength' from NES during the storm, including that restoration work was completed safely, NES utilized crews to restore power using parallel restoration strategies to improve efficiency, and logistics and material distribution systems functioned effectively to support field operations.

  • At the peak of the late January winter storm, nearly 50% of NES's customers were without power, which included more than 230,000 homes and businesses.
  • The findings will be discussed during the Wednesday, April 22, board meeting.

The players

Nashville Electric Service Board

The governing body of Nashville Electric Service, the public electric utility that provides electricity to the Nashville metropolitan area.

PA Consulting Group

The independent consulting firm that conducted the review of NES's response to the winter storm.

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What they’re saying

“The scale of Winter Storm Fern tested every aspect of NES operations. This independent, interim report provides a third-party assessment of where improvements are needed, and we are committed to ensuring the appropriate actions are taken to improve our infrastructure and customer service.”

— Anne Davis, Chair of the Electric Power Board

“This interim report represents a key step in the independent review of Nashville Electric Service's performance during Winter Storm Fern. A final After Action Review report, expected in June 2026, will provide a more comprehensive assessment to strengthen preparedness, enhance coordination, and improve customer communication.”

— Bill Harbison, Sherrard Roe Voigt & Harbison

What’s next

The Board will discuss the findings on Wednesday, April 22.

The takeaway

The independent review of NES's response to the devastating winter storm highlights the need for the utility to strengthen its emergency preparedness, improve coordination and communication, and invest in infrastructure to better serve customers during large-scale outage events. The findings will guide NES's efforts to enhance its operations and customer service ahead of future severe weather incidents.