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A resolution urging the Electric Power Board of the Metropolitan Government of Nashville and Davidson County to terminate the employment of Teresa Broyles-Aplin as Chief Executive Officer of Nashville Electric Service.
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WHEREAS, Nashville Electric Service (“NES”) is a publicly governed electric utility entrusted with providing safe, reliable, and resilient electric service to the residents and businesses of Davidson County and surrounding areas; and
WHEREAS, the Electric Power Board of the Metropolitan Government of Nashville and Davidson County (“Electric Power Board”) regulates NES and is responsible for ensuring that the utility meets the highest standards of preparation, competency, and accountability; and
WHEREAS, NES is led by Chief Executive Officer Teresa Broyles-Aplin,
WHEREAS, effective utility leadership requires proactive preparation for foreseeable severe weather events, including adequate infrastructure hardening, vegetation management, staffing readiness, and mutual aid coordination; and
WHEREAS, Winter Storm Fern caused widespread and prolonged outages across Davidson County and surrounding areas, leaving hundreds of thousands of residents without power for extended periods of time as temperatures stayed at life-threatening lows. At least five deaths in Nashville and Davidson County are being investigated as storm-related; and
WHEREAS, these outages created significant public safety concerns, particularly for medically vulnerable residents, disrupted essential services, and caused substantial economic harm to households and businesses; and
WHEREAS, the storm exposed systemic weaknesses and failure in NES’s emergency planning, preparation, infrastructure management, public-facing communication, and risk management, all of which are squarely the responsibility of executive leadership; and
WHEREAS, NES failed to demonstrate sufficient preparation for this winter storm despite known regional weather risks, prior ice storm experience, specifically in 1994, and explicit forecasting of this event days in advance; and
WHEREAS, transparent, timely, and accurate communication is a core responsibility of utility leadership during emergency events; and
WHEREAS, during the restoration process, NES repeatedly provided customers with inaccurate, inconsistent information and failed to provide clear guidance on realistic restoration timelines resulting in confusion, diminished public trust, and an inability for residents and businesses to make informed safety and logistical decisions; and
WHEREAS, in November 2025, NES produced an internal risk assessment identifying multiple risks to system reliability, including but not limited to vegetation management deficiencies, which are widely recognized as a leading cause of storm-related outages. Spending on tree trimming was also greatly reduced from the 2023 fiscal year; and
WHEREAS, the failure to meaningfully address or mitigate the risks identified in this internal assessment prior to the winter storm represents a significant breakdown in executive oversight and accountability; and
WHEREAS, taken together, the deficiencies in preparation, risk mitigation, emergency response, and public communication reflect systemic leadership failures rather than isolated operational shortcomings; and
WHEREAS, while the Metropolitan Council recognizes the Nashville Electric Service Power Board holds the authority and responsibility to hire and terminate the President and Chief Executive Officer, it also understands its own responsibility to speak clearly when the public welfare is at stake.
NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED BY THE METROPOLITAN COUNCIL OF NASHVILLE AND DAVIDSON COUNTY:
Section 1. That the Metropolitan Council hereby goes on record as formally requesting the Electric Power Board to terminate the employment of the President and Chief Executive Officer of Nashville Electric Service due to demonstrated failures in leadership, preparedness, risk management, and public communication during recent extended power outages.
Section 2. That the Council urges the Electric Power Board to initiate a transparent leadership transition process and appoint interim and permanent leadership with demonstrated expertise in grid resilience, emergency preparedness, vegetation management, and public accountability.
Section 3. That a copy of this resolution be transmitted to the Electric Power Board.
Section 4. This Resolution shall take effect from and after its adoption, the welfare of The Metropolitan Government of Nashville and Davidson County requiring it.