The Nashville Electric Service (NES) Electric Power Board today released initial findings from an independent 30-day interim report of the utility’s response to Winter Storm Fern, one of the most significant weather events in the system’s history.
The Electric Power Board hired Bill Harbison of Sherrard Roe Voigt & Harbison and Aubrey Harwell of Adams & Reese to serve as outside counsel and facilitate the after action review process independent of the board. “This interim report represents a key step in the independent review of Nashville Electric Service’s performance during Winter Storm Fern,” said outside counsel. “A final After Action Review report, expected in June 2026, will provide a more comprehensive assessment to strengthen preparedness, enhance coordination, and improve customer communication.”
The report, conducted by PA Consulting Group, found that Winter Storm Fern caused widespread and severe damage across the NES service area, with approximately 49 percent of customers, more than 230,000 homes and businesses, losing power at the peak of the event.
“The scale of Winter Storm Fern tested every aspect of NES operations,” said Anne Davis, chair of the Electric Power Board. “This independent, interim report provides a third-party assessment of where improvements are needed, and we are committed to ensuring the appropriate actions are taken to improve our infrastructure and customer service.”
The initial findings in this report are intended to highlight near-term, critical opportunities for improvement, as well as areas where NES performed well. A full copy of the report is available HERE.
Key Recommendations
The interim report outlines high-priority opportunities for immediate improvement, including:
- Expand the Emergency Response Plan and training programs for large-scale outage events
- Update the Incident Command Structure consistent with FEMA’s National Incident Management System
- Develop a damage prediction model to guide resource planning and restoration efforts
- Establish a standardized process for calculating and communicating Estimated Time of Restoration
- Develop a unified, storm-specific communications protocol
Areas of Strength
The report also noted several areas where NES performed effectively under extreme conditions:
- Restoration work was completed safely, with no serious injuries reported
- NES utilized crews to restore power using parallel restoration strategies to improve efficiency
- Logistics and material distribution systems functioned effectively to support field operations
- NES adapted during the response by bringing in outside expertise and expanding resources as the storm’s scope and impact became clearer
- There was no evidence of crews waiting for work or assignments during the restoration efforts
- NES has already taken aggressive action to address vegetation management concerns
The Electric Power Board will discuss the interim report findings during the regularly scheduled board meeting on Wednesday, April 22, 2026.
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 Electric Power Board today released initial findings from an independent 30-day interim report of the utility’s response to Winter Storm Fern, one of the most significant weather events in the system’s history.){kind=link}