Nashville Mayor Freddie O’Connell on Tuesday announced the members of his 2026 Winter Storm Response Commission, which will deliver its final report by February 2027, and tapped former Governor Phil Bredesen to chair its efforts.
Despite Bredesen co-founding Silicon Ranch, a green energy company that does business with NES, O’Connell told The Tennessee Star on Thursday that the former governor did not have a conflict of interest, because his commission had no authority.
“This commission was created to review the entire winter storm response,” said O’Connell.
The mayor told The Star, “While NES matters may be reviewed by the commission, the commission has no formal authority over NES, so there cannot be any material conflict, just as having the vice mayor or a Council member does not present a conflict to Metro.”
He added, “The commission has a well rounded set of experiences among all its members.”
Bredesen (pictured here) served as Governor of Tennessee until 2011, and after leaving office became one of the founders of Silicon Ranch, the green energy company that runs solar panel plants generating renewable energy. The energy is sold to the Tennessee Valley Authority (TVA), which enables Vanderbilt University to reach its climate goals by offsetting its emissions through renewable energy credits obtained through agreements with Nashville Electric Service (NES) and TVA.
That project became operational in April 2023, when NES CEO Teresa Broyles-Aplin stated, “NES is proud to collaborate with Vanderbilt, TVA, and Nashville’s own Silicon Ranch to reduce carbon emissions in our region.”
Matt Kisber, who was one of the company’s co-founders alongside Bredesen, said “Silicon Ranch is grateful to Vanderbilt for its leadership and to TVA and NES for their strong support of this meaningful renewable energy investment in Bedford County.”
The other members of the commission include Nashville Vice Mayor Angie Henderson, Metro Council President Pro Tem Delisha Porterfield, Vanderbilt University Director of Emergency Management Johnny Vanderpool, the president of Nashville’s National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP), the business manager for a Nashville labor union, the owner of Easley Communications, Dickson Electric general manager Darrell Gillespie, and former State House Speaker Beth Harwell.
NES remains embattled weeks after Winter Storm Fern, which saw about half of its 470,000 customers lose power, including thousands who were left in the dark for more than a week.
U.S. Senator Marsha Blackburn (R-TN) called for Broyles-Aplin to resign, while U.S. Representative Andy Ogles (R-TN) called for the Tennessee General Assembly to revise the company’s governance. State House Speaker Cameron Sexton (R-Crossville) confirmed lawmakers are considering their options.
The Metro Council is also considering a bipartisan resolution that would urge the NES board to fire Broyles-Aplin.
Anne Davis, the chair of the NES board, last week told The Star that any decision about Broyles-Aplin’s future employment would come after the completion of a third party audit.
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Tom Pappert is a 2025 recipient of the Dao Prize and the lead reporter for The Tennessee Star. He also reports for the Star News Network. Follow Tom on X. Email tips to [email protected].
Photo “Mayor Freddie O’Connell” by Mayor Freddie O’Connell.
Typical Democrat response that noone is accountable for anything. It’s the Democrat way!
Only one qualified member of that commission. The other are just political pawns. If you’re the mayor of a city and you cannot make decisions yourself without the use of commission for consultants, then you’re in the wrong damn job.
A do nothing committee filled with mostly liberal types will do nothing.
The commission is nothing but a ruse to pacify rightfully outraged NES customers. This is a prime example why NES should be ripped away from the local government.
As an aside, is anyone surprised that Bredsen is at the heart of the green energy scam? Vanderbilt essentially lies about its sustainability accomplishments by “buying” green energy credit from the TVA.
We live surrounded by a world filled with liars and grifters.