After-action report details NES mistakes during ice storm response
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Nashville power lines caked in ice following the January 25 storm. Photo: Brett Carlsen/Getty Images
If NES had acted faster to call in outside help after the January ice storm, a new report says, the utility could have restored power to the city up to five days sooner.
Why it matters: The after-action report, commissioned by the NES board, confirms one of the biggest public criticisms leveled against the utility following the unprecedented ice storm that left more 230,000 customers without power.
- More broadly, the report found significant shortcomings in the technology NES uses to respond to major outages.
Friction point: The largest wave of outside assistance did not arrive until eight days into the restoration effort, the report found.
- The NES consultant estimated that earlier arrival of external resources could have reduced the overall restoration duration by approximately two to five days.
What they found: "Requests for outside assistance were not made early or broadly enough," the after-action report concluded.
- "NES did not have the forecasting tools, damage prediction capabilities, or decision thresholds to determine the level of external resources required for an event of this scale."
Zoom out: The report also hammered NES for its poor communication to customers, especially in the early stages of the storm.
- "Customer information was not prioritized during the early stages of the restoration effort," the report concluded.
The big picture: The storm that blanketed the city in thick ice shined a spotlight on the ways NES infrastructure and technology has not kept pace with Nashville's explosive growth.
- "NES's customer base has grown steadily over the past decade," the consultants concluded. "Winter Storm Fern demonstrated how process gaps (estimated time of restoration) and underutilized technology (manual tracking and prioritization of outages) can hinder restoration effectiveness."
The other side: NES management indicated it is already taking steps to make improvements suggested by the after-action report. NES CEO Teresa Broyles-Aplin walked the agency's board of directors through its work since the storm at a meeting on Wednesday.
- The department updated its vegetation management plan and its ability to bring outside lineworkers online quickly during restoration.
- It also is working to improve its damage prediction system so it can be better prepared for natural disasters, according to Broyles-Aplin's presentation.
Between the lines: The early after action report was commissioned by the NES board of directors, which selected the law firms Sherrard Roe and Adams & Reese to spearhead the effort.
- PA Consulting to conducted the inquiry and produced the initial 30-day report.
What's next: Mayor Freddie O'Connell formed a commission to guage the city's storm response more broadly. That commission is led by former Nashville Mayor and Gov. Phil Bredesen and former House Speaker Beth Harwell.
- Its report is expected later this summer.