NES audit warned 'inadequate' tree trimming risked worsening outages

NASHVILLE, Tenn. (WZTV) — An internal audit by the Nashville Electric Service (NES) found tree trimming inadequacies that risked worsening outages.

This comes as more than 200,000 people were without power at the height of January’s winter storm, and thousands still remain without.

The weight of the ice on the tree limbs knocked down powerlines and wiped out power.

NES linemen were hard at work, despite challenges.

Brian Thomas worked as a lineman for many years and is now the operations manager for Global Energy Group.

“Well, tree trimmings are very important to maintaining the reliability of electrical system,” said Thomas.

The Nov. 20, 2025 risk management report placed the utility at high risk for “inadequate vegetation management and maintenance of the distribution of the distribution system increasing frequency and duration of outages.”

“Well, it can put us at a higher risk when you have damaged trees and working around them,” said Thomas.

At a Feb. 3 news conference, CEO of NES, Teresa Broyles-Aplin, responded to the audit.

“Tree trimming has always been an integral part of our power maintenance program, so we’ve had a pretty aggressive tree trimming program for years,” Broyles-Aplin said.

A 2025 NES annual report shows, from 2023 to 2024, there was a $7.5 million decrease in tree trimming spending, and overall a 33 percent decrease from 2023 to 2025.

A chart shows there was a slight 3 percent increase in Contract Tree &Grass from 2024 to 2025, but it is still a big gap of spending.

“We have not cut the budget in tree trimming,” Broyles-Aplin “And it has increased over the every year over the last four years. Now I am aware there is a change in vendor a few years ago that I believe probably resulted in more favorable pricing than was previously in place, but the budget itself has not been touched. It’s increased.”

The American Public Power Association reported in 2024 that the average utility company spent $27 million annually on vegetation management, almost twice the $14.3 million NES spent on tree trimming in 2025.

As of Wednesday, NES made its press conferences private.

FOX 17 News has made a public records request for copies of NES’ vegetation management audits.

We will keep you updated.