NASHVILLE, Tenn. (WTVF) — An internal NES audit raised concerns - last year - about the utility's ability to restore power following natural disasters.
It said the utility had problems trimming trees that could lead to longer outages.
The Risk Management Audit was published in November 2025, two months before the ice storm.
It warned of "inadequate vegetation management and maintenance" ... that could "increase the frequency and duration of outages."
NES responded in the Risk Management Assessment and said vegetation management was placed under "new management" in fiscal year 2024.
The utility said "unforeseen challenges prevented trimming sufficient miles" in 2025.
NewsChannel 5 Investigates asked at the NES news conference, "Did NES do enough on things like tree trimming prior to this storm?"
President and CEO of NES, Teresa Broyles-Aplin, responded, "Tree trimming has always been an integral part of our power maintenance program."
But records show NES spent nearly $7 million less on tree trimming from Fiscal Year 2023 to 2025.
NES CEO Teresa Broyles-Aplin insisted NES had not cut its tree trimming budget, but then acknowledged it did spend less on tree trimming last year than it did two years ago.
"I am aware there was a change in vendor a few years ago that probably resulted in more favorable pricing than was previously in place," Broyles Aplin said.
But she could not explain what "challenges prevented trimming sufficient miles" last year.
"I don't recall that statement, but we are on track with our tree trimming this year," Broyles-Aplin said.
The Risk assessment also focused on "prolonged outages, including those caused by natural catastrophes."
NES responded that its "emergency response processes/procedures are reviewed annually."
It discussed "sharing through mutual aid" as a way it would respond to a natural disaster.
But as the outages have persisted, Mayor O'Connell has criticized the utility's communication, and some state leaders have called for NES officials to resign.
Broyles-Aplin responded, "Accountability is important, and we are committed to working with all of our community and political leaders."
The mayor has called for a commission to investigate NES's response to the storm.
