NASHVILLE, Tenn. (WTVF) — Nashville Mayor Freddie O'Connell is taking action against Nashville Electric Service, issuing an executive order for a commission to investigate the city's electric utility's handling of last week's winter storm.
In addition to the requests I made of NES leadership yesterday, I am issuing Executive Order 58, establishing a Commission to Review Preparation and Response to the January 2026 Winter Storm. The commission will have the ability to hold hearings and request the assistance of the Metropolitan Auditor. I have asked the commission to return its initial findings within six months.
Outages during the historic ice storm event peaked at around 230,000 across Nashville. Mayor O'Connell's executive order comes as tens of thousands of people remain without power, now more than a week after the historic ice storm hit.
According to the executive order, the commission has been asked to return its initial findings within six months.
On Sunday, the mayor met with NES leaders and other Metro officials to voice concerns raised by residents. Not long after he sent a statement saying NES is unequipped to communicate about a crisis.
Today, I and members of the mayor’s office staff and other key Metro leaders met with NES leadership to reiterate: neither the pace of power restoration nor the communications surrounding it has met my expectations. Nor those of Nashvillians.
What I learned today is that NES is unequipped to communicate about a crisis. Nashvillians can’t get the last week back—nights huddled under blankets, unplanned shelter or hotel stays, the uncertainty and fear of not knowing what’s happening and how long it will take to simply return home. And that’s why it’s so troubling that details NES leadership shared about their internal outlook—that they hadn’t previously shared with us—would’ve had a huge impact on the public guidance we gave from the beginning of the crisis. That is unacceptable.
But NES claims there’s reason for hope. From the perspective of NES leadership, there are no further barriers that Metro could remove to speed up their work. Over the next 24 hours, they’re anticipating adding another 500 linemen to join their efforts; their restoration estimates have improved, and I pushed them to overperform even their best estimates for restoration of power. And Nashvillians and I are going to hold them accountable.
Through all this, I appreciate the dedicated people in the line crews working around the clock to get the power back on for all of us.
RELATED: Nashville Mayor says NES is 'unequipped to communicate about a crisis'
City councilman Jacob Kupin has written a letter to NES also demanding accountability.
Frustrated homeowners are resorting to signs begging for help and flagging down bucket trucks for assistance. More than 500 poles are down across the Nashville area. Over 1,100 line workers continue working in the field to restore service.
This is breaking news, we will update as we go through the executive order
Do you have more information about this story? You can email me at kelly.broderick@newschannel5.com.
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