Nashville Electric Service (NES) has faced criticism for its history of neglecting tree-trimming practices, which is notably alarming given the warnings that insufficient vegetation management can lead to more frequent and extended power outages. Recent board documents reveal that despite being aware of the risks, NES has not kept pace with necessary tree maintenance.
This issue has gained significant attention as the utility grapples with backlash from local officials and residents after a severe ice storm on January 24 left many in Nashville without power for several days. At one point, over 200,000 customers experienced outages, a situation that could have been mitigated with better tree management. The storm wreaked havoc, causing fallen branches to contribute majorly to the power outages, and as of February 3, the city looked like it had endured a hurricane, littered with debris.
Typically, electric utilities like NES are charged with maintaining vegetation near power lines to prevent outages caused by downed lines. While NES adheres to an industry-standard trimming cycle of three to four years, records indicate that it has historically lagged behind this schedule. Minutes from a NES Electric Power Board meeting on November 20 revealed a slight improvement, indicating that vegetation management had transitioned from falling behind to being ahead by 12%—thanks to consolidating operations under one contractor with 39 crews that made notable progress.
Brent Baker, who serves as vice president and chief customer and innovation officer, mentioned during the meeting that there was a recent shift in priorities towards non-standard circuits over regular tasks. However, a risk management report from the same date warned about persistent concerns, highlighting that inadequate vegetation management could lead to increased frequency and duration of outages.
The report also noted a leadership change in the vegetation management division in fiscal year 2024, which was expected to bring about more effective processes. Unfortunately, it also pointed out that unforeseen challenges hindered the utility from keeping up with its trimming calendar in subsequent years.
At a press conference on February 3, NES CEO Teresa Broyles-Aplin claimed she was unaware of any unexpected issues regarding vegetation management and described the utility’s tree-trimming program as “robust.” However, she did not provide clarity on why NES has fallen behind in its trimming efforts when pressed for further details.
"We are on track for this year regarding our tree trimming," she stated confidently.
As of February 3, NES had not addressed a series of inquiries from The Tennessean regarding its current standing on the tree trimming schedule, leaving many questions unanswered concerning the extent of ongoing delays.
While NES routinely conducts audits of its vegetation management practices, these reports are not available to the public. The Tennessean has requested access to these audits, but an NES representative indicated in a February 3 email that the utility is currently focused on restoring power instead of fulfilling such requests.
Concerns have also emerged regarding budget cuts related to tree trimming. According to the utility’s 2025 annual report, NES has slashed its vegetation management expenditures by nearly 33% since 2023. Yet, how these budget allocations are decided remains ambiguous.
During the news conference, Broyles-Aplin asserted that the utility has not reduced its tree-trimming budget. "That budget has actually increased each year for the past four years," she emphasized.
However, publicly available annual reports seem to contradict this claim. In 2023, NES reported expenses of approximately $21.2 million on its "Contract Tree & Grass" line item, but this figure plummeted to about $13.8 million in 2024 and rose slightly to $14.2 million in 2025 according to those reports.
The recent annual report explained the drop in costs was due to updates in the program, reduced contractor services, and lower trimming costs per mile. Nevertheless, spending in 2024 and 2025 was still markedly lower—34.7% and 32.8% less than 2023, respectively.
Additionally, the 2024 annual report highlighted a reduction in overall operating expenses by $6.7 million, or 6%, down from a total exceeding $112.2 million in 2023. To achieve the revised operating budget of $105.5 million in 2024, the company cited various cost reductions, with the most significant being a $7.5 million cut to tree-trimming expenses.
Broyles-Aplin attributed these discrepancies to a vendor change that resulted in more favorable pricing while noting that even though actual spending may have decreased, the budget itself has seen an increase.
