Report: Winter Storm Fern ‘exposed limitations’ in NES operations

NES headquarters in Nashville — Photo: Hamilton Matthew Masters

It’s been five months since Winter Storm Fern blanketed Nashville with ice, becoming a historic weather event that resulted in 230,000 power outages and intense scrutiny about Nashville Electric Service’s response to the storm.

A newly released report highlights a lack of preparedness and other shortfalls by NES's storm response. The comprehensive, 133-page independent review, conducted by New York-based PA Consulting Group and approved by the public utility in February, showcases evidence of NES disorganization.

This page requires Javascript.

Javascript is required for you to be able to read premium content. Please enable it in your browser settings.

kAm%96 C6A@CE’D 7:?5:?8D 368:? 3J ?@E:?8 }t$ “92D 2 DEC@?8 4F=EFC6 @7 @H?6CD9:A 2?5 D6CG:46[” 3FE E96 FE:=:EJ AC@G:56C’D C6DA@?D6 7C6BF6?E=J C6=:65 @? :?5:G:5F2= 6IA6C:6?46D C2E96C E92? 2 F?:7:65 4@>>2?5 DECF4EFC6] (9:=6 }t$ 5:5 92G6 2? 6>6C86?4J C6DA@?D6 7C2>6H@C<[ E96 C6A@CE DE2E6D E96C6 :D “=:>:E65 6G:56?46” E92E AC@465FC6D[ C6DE@C2E:@? A=2J3@@<D[ AC6A2C65?6DD 24E:G:E:6D 2?5 @E96C 8F:52?46 925 366? 7@C>2==J 56G6=@A65 2?5 >2:?E2:?65] k^Am

kAm“}t$’D 6>6C86?4J C6DA@?D6 @C82?:K2E:@?2= DECF4EFC6 2?5 A=2? =24<65 4=62C=J 567:?65 C@=6D 2?5 C6DA@?D:3:=:E:6D[ 2D H6== 2D E96 AC@46DD6D C6BF:C65 E@ 67764E:G6=J D42=6 5FC:?8 =2C86C >2;@C 6G6?ED[” E96 C6A@CE C625D] “%96 @C82?:K2E:@? 56>@?DEC2E65 2 C6=:2?46 @? :?DE:EFE:@?2= <?@H=6586 2?5 E6?FC65 6>A=@J66 6IA6C:6?46 C2E96C E92? 5@4F>6?E65 AC@465FC6D[ 4C62E:?8 C:D<D 2D E9@D6 <?@H=658623=6 :?5:G:5F2=D C6E:C6 @C =62G6 E96 @C82?:K2E:@?]”k^Am

kAm%96 C6A@CE 2=D@ ?@E6D E96 C6DE@C2E:@? DJDE6>D 2?5 AC@46DD6D :>A=6>6?E65 H6C6 ?@E 56D:8?65 E@ DFAA@CE D:8?:7:42?E 6IE6C?2= 96=A 7C@> >FEF2= 2DD:DE2?46 2?5 4@?EC24E@CD[ DF49 2D 255:E:@?2= 6=64EC:42= =:?6 H@C<6CD]k^Am

kAmx? 255:E:@?[ E96 C6A@CE DE2E6D E92E C6BF6DED 7@C @FED:56 2DD:DE2?46 H6C6 ?@E >256 62C=J @C 3C@25=J 6?@F89] %96 C6G:6H 7@F?5 E92E }t$ =24<65 E96 7@C642DE:?8 E@@=D[ 52>286 AC65:4E:@? 42A23:=:E:6D @C 564:D:@? E9C6D9@=5D ?66565 E@ 56E6C>:?6 E96 ?F>36C @7 6IE6C?2= C6D@FC46D C6BF:C65 7@C (:?E6C $E@C> u6C?] !p r@?DF=E:?8 6DE:>2E6D E92E :7 6IE6C?2= 2:5 925 2CC:G65 D@@?6C[ E96 @G6C2== C6DE@C2E:@? E:>6 4@F=5 92G6 366? C65F465 3J 2AAC@I:>2E6=J EH@ E@ 7:G6 52JD] k^Am

kAm}t$ 72:=65 E@ AC:@C:E:K6 4FDE@>6C :?7@C>2E:@? 2?5 4@>>F?:42E:@? 5FC:?8 E96 62C=J DE286D @7 :ED C6DE@C2E:@? 677@CED[ E96 C6A@CE ?@E6D] sFC:?8 AC:@C H62E96C 6G6?ED[ }t$ 925 ?@E AC6G:@FD=J 4@>>F?:42E65 6DE:>2E65 E:>6D @7 C6DE@C2E:@? 27E6C A@H6C @FE286D] (9:=6 E96 FE:=:EJ 56G6=@A65 2? 6DE:>2E65 C6DE@C2E:@? E:>6 4@>>F?:42E:@? DJDE6> D6G6? 52JD :?E@ :ED C6DA@?D6 677@CED[ E96 C6A@CE D2JD E96 =2E6 24E:@? =:>:E65 E96 DJDE6>VD G2=F6]k^Am

kAm}t$’ EH@\H2J E6IE >6DD28:?8 DJDE6> H2D :?E6CCFAE65 E9C66 D6A2C2E6 E:>6D 5FC:?8 E96 7:CDE 7@FC 52JD @7 DE@C> C6DE@C2E:@?[ H9:49 C6DF=E65 :? ?62C=J ?:?6 9@FCD @7 5@H?E:>6 7@C E96 DJDE6>] %96 C6A@CE D2JD }t$’D @FE286 >2A “AC@G:56D =:>:E65 4FDE@>6C\724:?8 7F?4E:@?2=:EJ” 2D 4@>A2C65 E@ E9@D6 @7 A66C FE:=:EJ AC@G:56CD :? @E96C 4:E:6D]k^Am

kAm%96 C6A@CE 2=D@ 7@F?5 E92E }t$ @A6C2E:@?D 92G6 ?@E <6AE FA H:E9 4FDE@>6C 8C@HE9] k^Am

kAm“}t$’D 4FDE@>6C 32D6 92D 8C@H? DE625:=J @G6C E96 A2DE 564256j 9@H6G6C[ @AA@CEF?:E:6D C6>2:? E@ >2EFC6 @A6C2E:@?2= AC@46DD6D 2?5 7F==J @A6C2E:@?2=:K6 E649?@=@8J 42A23:=:E:6D E92E DFAA@CE 6>6C86?4J C6DA@?D6[ C6DE@C2E:@? @A6C2E:@?D[ 2?5 4FDE@>6C 4@>>F?:42E:@?D[” E96 C6A@CE C625D] k^Am

kAm“(:?E6C $E@C> u6C? 56>@?DEC2E65 9@H AC@46DD 82AD W6DE:>2E65 E:>6 @7 C6DE@C2E:@?X 2?5 F?56CFE:=:K65 E649?@=@8J W>2?F2= EC24<:?8 2?5 AC:@C:E:K2E:@? @7 @FE286DX 42? 9:?56C C6DE@C2E:@? 67764E:G6?6DD]”k^Am

kAmpD 2 C6DF=E @7 E96D6 7:?5:?8D[ E96 C6A@CE =:DED dg C64@>>6?52E:@?D 7@C }t$] %96D6 :?4=F56 6DE23=:D9:?8 2?5 >2:?E2:?:?8 4=62C 6>6C86?4J AC6A2C65?6DD AC@465FC6D[ EC2:?:?8 2?5 4@>>2?5 DECF4EFC6D 2D H6== 2D 56G6=@A:?8 2 “4FDE@>6C\46?EC:4” DEC2E68J 7@C 4@>>F?:42E:?8 6DE:>2E65 E:>6 C6DE@C2E:@?D] %96 C6A@CE 2=D@ C64@>>6?5D 6IA2?5:?8 E96 FE:=:EJVD >FEF2= 2DD:DE2?46 ?6EH@C< 2?5 :>A=6>6?E:?8 36EE6C DEC2E68:6D E@ >@3:=:K6 @FED:56 2:5]k^Am

kAm%96 C6A@CE 5@6D ?@E6 E92E 492?86D :? E96 7@C642DE[ 92K2C5@FD C@25 4@?5:E:@?D 2?5 6IE6?D:G6 52>286 E@ G686E2E:@? W=:<6 72==6? EC66DX 2?5 :?7C2DECF4EFC6 2=D@ A=2J65 2 C@=6 :? 56=2J:?8 }t$’ C6DE@C2E:@? 677@CED]k^Am

kAm%96 C6A@CE 4@>>6?5D }t$ 7@C :ED G686E2E:@? >2?286>6?E 677@CED 5FC:?8 E96 >@?E9D 27E6C E96 DE@C>[ ?@E:?8 E92E E9:D AC24E:46 4@F=5 36 6IA2?565] %9:D :?4=F56D EC66\EC:>>:?8[ H9:49 92D k2 9C67lQ9EEADi^^HHH]?2D9G:==6A@DE]4@>^A@=:E:4D^4@F?4:=\FC86D\?6D\E@\56=2J\EC66\EC:>>:?8\56?@F?46D\DE2E6\C65:DEC:4E:?8^2CE:4=606egaf63d\2a2g\cdd7\g6f_\b4eahgfdf`h5]9E>=Q E2C86ElQ03=2?<QmC646:G65 AFD9324< 7C@> D@>6 }2D9G:==:2?D 2?5 |6EC@ 4@F?4:=>6>36CDk^2m]k^Am

kAmx? C6DA@?D6 E@ E96 C6A@CE[ }t$ DFAA=:65 C6A@CE6CD H:E9 2 dh\A286 D=:56 564< D6E E@ 36 AC6D6?E65 2E E96 FE:=:EJ AC@G:56C’D 3@2C5 >66E:?8 @? yF?6 ac]k^Am

kAmkDEC@?8m“k^DEC@?8m|F49 @7 H92E E96 C6G:6H C64@>>6?5D :D 2=C625J F?56CH2J[” E96 AC6D6?E2E:@? C625D] “}t$ 5:5 ?@E H2:E 7@C E96 C6A@CE] %96 7@FC A:==2CD H@C< 3682? C:89E 27E6C E96 DE@C>[ 2?5 2 8@@5 D92C6 @7 E96 dg C64@>>6?52E:@?D 2C6 2=C625J 36:?8 255C6DD65 E9C@F89 :E] #64@>>6?52E:@?D H:== 36 E2<6? D6C:@FD=J] }t$ H:== H6:89 6249 @?6[ 564:56 9@H E@ E24<=6 2?J F?255C6DD65 :DDF6D[ 2?5 A=2? 9@H 2?5 H96? E@ 24E] %9:D 564< :D E96 DE2CE:?8 A@:?E 7@C E92E[ ?@E E96 7:?2= H@C5]”k^Am

kAm%96 “7@FC A:==2CD” 2C6 2? :?:E:2E:G6 :>A=6>6?E65 3J }t$ :? u63CF2CJ[ H9:49 7@4FD6D E96 @C82?:K2E:@?’D H@C< @? DE@C> C625:?6DD 2?5 C6DA@?D6[ 4FDE@>6C 6IA6C:6?46 2?5 @A6C2E:@?D[ 6DE:>2E65 E:>6 @7 C6DE@C2E:@? 2?5 C6D:=:6?4J]k^Am

kAm%96 AC6D6?E2E:@? =:DED 2== dg @7 !p r@?DF=E:?8’D C64@>>6?52E:@?D[ A2:C65 H:E9 H92E 24E:@?D }t$ 92D E2<6? D:?46 E96 DE@C> — @FE=:?:?8 H92E 2AA62CD E@ 36 2 >2DD:G6 @G6C92F= @7 }t$’D 6>6C86?4J AC6A2C65?6DD 2?5 4@>>F?:42E:@? @A6C2E:@?D]k^Am

kAm%9:D 4@>6D 27E6C k2 9C67lQ9EEADi^^HHH]?2D9G:==6A@DE]4@>^A@=:E:4D^>6EC@\4@F?4:=H@>6?\7:=6\3:==\E@\FC86\?6D\3@2C5\E@\7:C6\46@^2CE:4=60552g42f5\g43c\cd2d\g`56\ba42`4bbd7fc]9E>=Q E2C86ElQ03=2?<QmAC@A@D65 4@F?4:= C6D@=FE:@?D E@ 7:C6 }t$ rt~ %6C6D2 qC@J=6D\pA=:?k^2m 2?5 E@ 6IAC6DD 2 =24< @7 4@?7:56?46 :? E96 }t$ 3@2C5 C682C5:?8 E96 H:?E6C DE@C> C6DA@?D6] w@H6G6C[ E96 C6D@=FE:@?D H6C6 :?567:?:E6=J 5676CC65 2E 2 yF?6 4@F?4:= >66E:?8]k^Am

Politics

Report: Winter Storm Fern ‘exposed limitations’ in NES operations

Independent review notes utility provider’s lack of preparedness for emergency management, restoration, communications, customer service after January ice storm

Julianne Akers

Trending

O’Charley’s to cease operations

Headline Homes: August 2026

Zoolumination canceled due to visa issues for Chinese light festival group

On the Move: Sept. 8, 2026

Hotel project proposal progresses

Sections

Do business with us

Contact us

Rate:
Begins:
Transaction ID:

Tags

Get email notifications on {{subject}} daily!

Followed notifications

Please log in to use this feature

Recommended for you

Trending

Sections

Do business with us

Contact us

Offer

Sign Up

You're all set!

Log In

Reset Password

Forgot Password

Email me a log in link

Promotional Offers

Purchase Gift Purchase Access

You're all set!

An error occurred