NASHVILLE, Tenn. (WTVF) — After months of criticism over its Winter Storm Fern response — including questions about staffing numbers, VIP treatment during outages and ratepayer-funded lobbying contracts — the Nashville Electric Service board released an interim independent review Friday calling for major operational and communication changes.
The 30-day interim report found about 49% of NES customers — more than 230,000 homes and businesses — lost power at the peak of the storm.
Outside counsel overseeing the review said a final after-action report is expected in June and will include broader recommendations aimed at strengthening preparedness, coordination and customer communication.
Board Chair Anne Davis said the storm tested every part of NES operations and that the review identifies areas needing improvement.
Key recommendations
The report called for several immediate changes, including:
- Expanding emergency response plans and training for large outages
- Updating the incident command structure to align with FEMA standards
- Creating a damage prediction model for staffing and restoration planning
- Standardizing how estimated restoration times are calculated and shared
- Developing a unified communications plan for major storms
Areas of strength
The report also said NES performed effectively in several areas during extreme conditions, including:
- No serious injuries during restoration work
- Parallel restoration strategies that improved efficiency
- Effective logistics and material distribution support
- Expanded outside resources as storm impacts became clearer
- No evidence crews were left waiting for assignments
- Aggressive action already underway on vegetation management
The board is scheduled to discuss the interim findings during its regular meeting on April 22.
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