As nearly 100,000 Nashville households depending on NES for power remain powerless in below-freezing conditions, the abject failure of NES leadership becomes increasingly apparent. The remarkably slow rate of returning power in the wake of the storm demonstrates an utter failure in both planning and timely response. 
As soon as the extent of the damage became obvious last Saturday, the glacial pace of adding more repair crews to an already woefully shorthanded number of available resources exacerbated an already dangerous situation. A full investigation needs to take place to determine whether stories of NES refusing additional help are true or not. There is certainly enough evidence to justify a thorough, honest, and independent review of the actions taken by NES leadership.
But the decisions that led to the ongoing disaster in Nashville go beyond a lack of competent planning and failure to recognize the impact of the storm as it unfolded and respond accordingly. NES’s policy of preserving trees and limbs overhanging power lines directly contributed to the epic disaster that Nashville residents are having to survive.
NES’s President and CEO Teresa Broyles-Aplin bragged about the company’s prioritization of preserving Nashville’s urban tree canopy through restrained trimming practices rather than aggressive removal just a few months ago. A quick (as quick as dodging limbs and debris and ice in the roadway allows) drive down West End Ave to and through the Belle Meade area reveals large numbers of iced limbs overhanging power lines and trees leaning towards and threatening those same power lines. Those obvious hazards should have been removed months ago.
Likewise, a drive down Old Hickory Blvd. past Steeplechase to Brentwood show large numbers of similar ongoing and preventable threats to the power lines that residents depend upon for power. None of these have been addressed because of the short-sighted and dangerous “save the limbs” policy of NES.
The disastrous policy has produced foreseeable results. During an August 2025 appearance on Urban League Live, Broyles-Aplin said NES – which she noted outsources its tree trimming – avoids aggressive trimming practices and instead relies on species-specific plans overseen by the NES in-house arborists.
“We care about the canopy. We have to live here too,” Broyles-Aplin argued during the interview. “And so I don’t want us out destroying the canopy,” she added. “We do species specific trimming…We take a lot of pride in making sure that we are cutting the trees in a healthy fashion.”
The damage already done by Broyles-Alpin “hug the trees” policy may not be complete. Many of the limbs that continue to hang over powerlines may yet bring those powerlines down, contributing to more outages.
Broyles-Alpins’ disastrous and deadly failures should lead to her immediate removal from her position leading NES. As soon as this current crisis is over, every tree limb overhanging a powerline anywhere in Nashville should also be removed immediately.
In the meantime, there are plenty of limbs overhanging powerlines that should be removed as soon as possible before they contribute to the ongoing crisis. Any and all trees that pose a threat to nearby powerlines should also be removed over the next few months.
Bad policies lead to bad results as hundreds of thousands of Nashvillians are learning with every passing hour of surviving frigid temperatures with no power.
Steve Gill is editor and publisher of TriStar Daily.
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