ASHLAND CITY, Tenn. (WTVF) — Frustrated by extended power outages during the recent ice storm, neighbors in parts of Cheatham County launched a petition on change.org with a goal of switching their electric service provider from NES to a different company.
The petition had more than 160 verified signatures as of Sunday afternoon and is urging county leaders to conduct a feasibility study on electric service in the area.
Click here for a look at the petition.
Deborah Doyle of Ashland City lost power for more than a week after the ice storm.
Doyle and her neighbors are part of a small portion of Cheatham County residents who receive power from Nashville Electric Service (NES), while most of the county is served by other providers, including Cumberland Electric Membership Corporation, or CEMC.
She said power outages have been a frequent problem for years, even without severe weather.
The extended outage after the ice storm was the final straw for many residents who want to switch to Cumberland Electric Membership Corporation or another provider.
"We would like to be affiliated and customers of CEMC or another power service," Doyle said.
CEMC serves homes surprisingly close to the affected area, sometimes just across the street from NES customers, including Doyle’s neighbor down the road, Barney Demonbreun.
He also went more than a week without power after the storm.
"We spent 3 nights, and the coldest was 39 degrees," Demonbreun said.
While he struggled without electricity, his neighbors across the street served by CEMC had their power restored much faster.
"Within 2 or 3 days they had it back," Demonbreun said.
The extended outage forced his family to pay for hotel stays and replace spoiled food during an already financially difficult time.
"It's been frustrating," Demonbreun said.
Both residents signed the petition, hoping to gather enough support for county officials to seriously consider their request.
"We've got to start talking to somebody, but we just are now getting organized to say how large our voice is," Doyle said.
According to Doyle, switching to CEMC would also allow neighbors access to reliable broadband internet service, which they don’t have now.
I reached out to NES for comment about this story, they provided me with the following statement.
"While 87% of our customers reside in Davidson County, we serve customers in six surrounding counties and value their input. The after-action review will provide a strong basis for how NES can improve and serve all customers better."
This story was reported on-air by a journalist and has been converted to this platform with the assistance of AI. Our editorial team verifies all reporting on all platforms for fairness and accuracy.
Do you have more information about this story? You can email me at robb.coles@newschannel5.com.
The aftermath of the historic ice storm will be felt for a long time by many, but what looked like a hopeless situation for one small business owner proved to be quite the opposite. This community would not let her fail. Patsy Montesinos shares the story with a truly happy ending.
- Carrie Sharp
