business
Nashville Electric Service’s winter storm response delayed outside help, customer updates during historic outage, independent review finds
By Caleb Wethington at WSMV 4 News (NBC affiliate)
· June 24, 2026
· 3 min read
NASHVILLE, Tenn. (WSMV) - The Nashville Electric Service has released the full findings of an independent review into its response to the deadly winter storm that led to the largest outage event in the utility company’s history in late-January into early February.NES reports that the ice storm le...
Key takeaway The utility said it had more than 3,000 crews and support staff at the peak of the incident and received about 64,000 customer calls during the storm.
Why this matters in The Nashville
The independent review's findings on Nashville Electric Service's winter storm response have significant implications for the community. With nearly half of NES' customers affected by the outage, the delayed restoration efforts and communication failures had a profound impact on daily life in Nashville. The review's recommendation to improve incident command and emergency preparedness is crucial, as the city's residents and businesses rely on a functional infrastructure to recover from severe weather events. Furthermore, the utility's decision to tighten its trimming standard and widen clearances around poles and lines may help mitigate the effects of future storms. As NES implements its improvement plan, residents will be watching to see if the changes lead to more efficient and effective response times during outages. The utility's ability to restore power quickly and communicate effectively with customers will be put to the test in the next severe weather event, and the community will be expecting significant improvements.
About this story
Original reporting by WSMV 4 News (NBC affiliate) . The Nashville surfaces reporting from trusted publishers and adds local editorial context so readers can quickly understand what a story means for their community. We attribute every source, link to the original report, and follow a documented editorial standards policy. To understand how stories are selected and reviewed, read our about page .
For the complete original report, visit WSMV 4 News (NBC affiliate) . Have a tip or correction? Contact our newsroom .
Category: business ·
Published: June 24, 2026 ·
Source: WSMV 4 News (NBC affiliate) ·
Reading time: 3 min
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Frequently asked about this story
What is this story about? NASHVILLE, Tenn. (WSMV) - The Nashville Electric Service has released the full findings of an independent review into its response to the deadly winter storm that led to the largest outage event in the utility company’s history in late-January into early February.NES reports that the ice storm le...
When was this published? This article was first published on June 24, 2026 by WSMV 4 News (NBC affiliate) and curated for The Nashville readers.
Who reported this story? This story was reported by Caleb Wethington at WSMV 4 News (NBC affiliate). To learn more about how The Nashville selects and reviews stories, see our editorial standards .
Where can I find related coverage? See more business coverage from The Nashville, or browse our daily briefing and topic hubs .
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