NASHVILLE, Tenn. (WTVF) — The Tennessee Valley Authority and Nashville Electric Service explained what went wrong to neighbors in the Antioch and Cane Ridge areas, many of whom lost power for a full day while the rest of the mid-state went through rolling blackouts in the bitter cold temperatures over the holidays.
The problem, the utilities said, was a one-two punch of freezing and fire.
First, TVA said pressure sensors on two of the utility’s largest energy generators at its Cumberland City Fossil Plant froze in the sub-zero temps, tripping an automatic shut-off, and cutting how much power they were able to produce, prompting the rolling blackouts.
About an hour later, NES said thousands more homes in the Antioch and Cane Ridge area lost power, because of a fire in a building at its Cane Ridge substation, involving rows of electrical communication equipment.
"We think one of those relays stuck and overheated and didn't clear. They're made to clear, and it didn't. That's what caused the fire," said Jack Baxter with Nashville Electric Service.
But neighbors who had to endure hours without power with bitter cold outside said the utilities need to do better.
"When something like this fails, it's because someone wasn't paying attention to everything," said one neighbor.
Both TVA and NES said it would improve its communication, including hourly updates to lawmakers and the media during future events, as full investigations continue at both utilities.
