HENDERSONVILLE, Tenn. (WTVF) — Sumner County leaders are demanding changes to Nashville Electric Service operations after widespread power outages during the recent ice storm left thousands without electricity.
Sumner County Mayor John Isbell is pushing for county representation on the NES board, saying local voices are needed during policy-making decisions.
"We need a voice on that board to make sure that as we go forward in policies, the citizens of Sumner County are represented during those policy-making sessions," Isbell said.
Isbell also called for an independent review of NES operations following what he described as obvious failures in the utility's response to the ice storm.
In Hendersonville, Mayor Jamie Clary faces a different challenge. The city doesn't own its utilities, and most residents rely on NES for power. Clary said the city can't easily switch services or make changes independently.
Clary says back in 2004, when he was an alderman, he sponsored a resolution in Hendersonville requesting representation on the NES board.
"Hendersonville is unique in that we don't provide any utilities when we start talking about making changes to utilities; it depends a lot on the relationships we have with folks," Clary said.
Clary has scheduled a meeting with NES in March, hoping to discuss infrastructure improvements that could help during future storms.
"We're getting a head start on what we're going to do before the next storm, talking with NES about possibly burying some of our power lines," Clary said. "It will be a lot of work to do it, but that's part of the reason we started the conversation with NES almost a year ago."
From boardroom representation to underground power lines, both leaders want to ensure the next winter storm doesn't leave Sumner County residents without power.
A statement from the mayor's office said while the mayor would be open to any qualified candidate, the Private Act passed by both the State Legislature and Metro Council limits board membership to those who've been Davidson County taxpayers for three years.
Have questions about power outages in Hendersonville or Sumner County? Want to share your storm experience? Contact Kim at kim.rafferty@NewsChannel5.com and watch the full video report above.
In this article, we used artificial intelligence to help us convert a video news report originally written by Kim Rafferty. When using this tool, both Kim and the NewsChannel 5 editorial team verified all the facts in the article to make sure it is fair and accurate before we published it. We care about your trust in us and where you get your news, and using this tool allows us to convert our news coverage into different formats so we can quickly reach you where you like to consume information. It also lets our journalists spend more time looking into your story ideas, listening to you and digging into the stories that matter.
During a week when it seems that frustration is the prevailing sentiment felt across middle Tennessee amid ongoing power outages, Forrest Sanders brings us a story of love, faithfulness and a remarkable family... plus, a little humor on the side. Enjoy!
- Carrie Sharp
