Now under scrutiny with more than 20,000 customers without power for nine days following Winter Storm Fern, the Nashville Electric Service (NES) was previously named a “Tree Line Utility” by the Arbor Day Foundation for 16 years in a row, including in March 2025, when Mayor Freddie O’Connell joined representatives from the municipally owned electric company to accept the honor.
In a press release published last year, NES noted it has been named a “Tree Line Utility” every year since 2009 and explained that the recognition is reserved for “utilities that demonstrate their commitment to providing safe, efficient service while protecting and preserving community trees.”
Captioning a photograph of NES employees and Nashville’s mayor (pictured here), the company wrote in a post to social media, “NES is honored to receive recognition from Tree Line USA for the 16th consecutive year! Tree Line USA highlights how trees and utilities can thrive together for the benefit of our communities.”
The company stated, “Our commitment to safety and reliability ensures trees stay healthy without interfering with electrical systems.”
NES also referenced its recognition in its Environmental and Social Governance (ESG) report for 2024.
“The Arbor Day Foundation recognizes NES for excellence in vegetation management as a Certified Tree Line USA Utility,” wrote the company. “Each year, NES plants trees to offset some that were removed for grid resiliency and add back to Nashville’s tree canopy.”
According to Nathan Black, who works in vegetation management at NES and was quoted in the ESG report, the company and its partners “are committed to effectively managing the interface of safety, service reliability, sustainability of our natural environment, and top-notch service for each customer in all the communities we serve.”
The Arbor Day Foundation website states that its “Tree Line Utility” recognition honors utility companies that use nationally recognized practices to prioritize preserving trees when trimming.
“Tree Line USA, a program of the Arbor Day Foundation, celebrates forward-thinking utilities that follow best practices in utility arboriculture—strengthening reliability, sustainability, and public trust,” according to the foundation.
While at least 15 other utility providers in Tennessee received the same recognition last year, only NES has struggled to restore service to customers following outages caused by Winter Storm Fern.
Other Tennessee utility providers recognized by the Arbor Day Foundation include Middle Tennessee Electric, Gibson Electric, CDE Lightband, Pulaski Electric System, Tullahoma Utilities Authority, Cookeville Energy Department, Cleveland Utilities, Oak Ridge Electrical Department, Clinton Utilities Board, Knoxville Utilities Board, Sevier County Electric, Appalachian Electric Cooperative, Morristown Utility Systems, BrightRidge, and Bristol Tennessee Essential Services.
Perhaps explaining the company’s repeated awards for its vegetation management, CEO Teresa Broyles-Aplin said last August that NES prioritizes Nashville’s “tree canopy” through its trimming practices.
“We care about the canopy. We have to live here too,” she said. “I don’t want us out destroying the canopy.”
Broyles-Aplin explained, “We do species specific trimming… We take a lot of pride in making sure that we are cutting the trees in a healthy fashion.”
According to its annual report, NES cut its spending on contracted vegetation management services by more than $7 million in 2024, bringing the company’s annual budget for tree trimming to about half the national average. The budget only increased by about 3 percent last year.
In a response to a letter by U.S. Senator Marsha Blackburn (R-TN), Broyles-Aplin wrote that NES has developed “a robust tree-trimming program that includes circuit tree trimming and the routine removal of trees or tree limbs that interfere with power lines.”
NES stated on Sunday that it expects power to be fully restored on February 9. A total of 23 deaths have been reported across Tennessee following the storm.
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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 “Nashville Electric Service Maintenance” by Nashville Electric Service.
I like trees too, but in situations like we were in, the only priority should be to restore power to insure the safety and comfort of residents. The canopy be damned.