Nashville mayor ratchets up criticism of NES following power outages
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Mayor Freddie O'Connell admonished NES on Sunday, bashing the electrical utility for being "unequipped to communicate about a crisis" as more than 30,000 customers wait to have their power restored.
- The criticism came after a meeting with NES leadership earlier in the day. O'Connell has tried to distance himself from NES's response to last weekend's ice storm in recent days.
Why it matters: The mayor said NES failed to share information last week that would have reshaped the city's messaging about the ice storm recovery.
Driving the news: Following immense pressure from public officials last week, including Gov. Bill Lee, NES released a timeline over the weekend showing when it expected to bring power back across the city.
- NES estimated some Nashvillians won't get power restored until early next week.
- Shortly after the timeline came out, O'Connell called NES's pace of progress "unacceptable" and demanded a meeting.
What he's saying: In his statement after the meeting, O'Connell doubled down on his criticism.
"Nashvillians can't get the last week back — nights huddled under blankets, unplanned shelter or hotel stays, the uncertainty and fear of not knowing what's happening and how long it will take to simply return home," O'Connell said in his Sunday statement.
- "And that's why it's so troubling that details NES leadership shared about their internal outlook — that they hadn't previously shared with us — would've had a huge impact on the public guidance we gave from the beginning of the crisis. That is unacceptable."
The latest: MNPS students will miss their sixth day of school today due to the storm.
Catch up quick: More than 230,000 NES customers lost power following the record-breaking ice storm. NES returned power to 180,000 customers in the first seven days after the storm.
- NES ratcheted up the number of linemen in the field late last week. There are over 1,000 linemen working on the relief effort. O'Connell said NES anticipates an additional 500 linemen in the next 24 hours.
The other side: "We understand the overwhelming challenges our customers are facing without knowing when their power will be restored after this unprecedented weather event," NES CEO Teresa Broyles-Aplin said in a statement.
- "We hope that by sharing a targeted timeline and up-to-date estimates for power restoration by ZIP code, customers can plan for alternate accommodations while NES crews continue to repair the system."
Zoom out: The hospitality industry partnered with the Nashville Convention and Visitors Corp. to offer discounted hotel rooms to people displaced by the storm.
- Airbnb is also offering free short-term rentals for Nashville residents affected by disaster.
- Residents can call 211 to be connected to a free space.