Republican state legislators are pushing a bill that would require Nashville Electric Service to expand its board and include representatives from the five other counties it serves, including Williamson County, as local leaders ask to be heard.
Bill sponsors — House Majority Whip Clark Boyd (R-Lebanon) and Senate Majority Leader Jack Johnson (R-Franklin) — pitched the bill as “ensuring fair representation for customers of municipally-owned electric utilities.”
"Customers who live outside city limits pay the same electric bill rates and endure the same outages as those inside the city, yet have zero say on the board that governs their utility," Boyd said in a news release. "Unfortunately, January's storm exposed this inequity. This legislation levels the playing field for all Tennesseans who rely on municipal utilities. When every ratepayer has representation, we strengthen accountability, improve service and build a more reliable grid for everyone.”
The bill is expected to be debated in Wednesday’s House Cities and Counties Subcommittee, and comes on the heels of the historic Winter Storm Fern, which impacted much of Tennessee. The storm resulted in 29 deaths across the state and left behind countless broken trees and massive political fallout.
“One of the lessons from Winter Storm Fern is that policy choices have consequences," Johnson said. "When reliability and tree trimming take a back seat, ratepayers feel the impact. If a utility serves families across multiple counties, those communities deserve a voice in the decisions that affect grid maintenance, storm preparedness, and long-term reliability. This legislation ensures broader representation so governance reflects the full-service area and reliability remains the top priority moving forward.”
What Brentwood leaders say
That call for representation is echoed by numerous Williamson County leaders, including the Brentwood City Commission. On Monday, it unanimously approved a resolution urging the Metro Nashville Council to “consider and adopt an amendment to its Charter to provide for representation of residents of Williamson County who are customers of Nashville Electric Service.” A portion of Brentwood is serviced by NES.
Officials with NES — whose grid now covers 700 square miles — have said Winter Storm Fern was the worst storm it has faced since the utility’s formation in 1939. The Tennessee Valley Authority provides the electricity. It’s comprised of five board members, all from Davidson County.
“With the growth seen in northern Williamson County and other counties in the NES service area since its founding, it just makes sense for those being served to have a reasonable level of representation on a board that dictates electric service regulations, quality and rates,” Brentwood City Administrator Jason Gage told the Williamson Scene. “While the recent ice storm may have brought this question to light, it is much bigger and more fundamental than a single weather event.”
Gage said during Monday’s meeting that the city and its contractors have been working to clear and dispose of some 260,000 cubic yards of debris, much of which is trees, with residents able to view the progress through the city’s online debris tracker.
“There are a significant number of Brentwood residents that get their electricity through NES, but the NES Charter prevents us from being represented. I think they should change that,” Brentwood Mayor Nelson Andrews told the Williamson Scene.
What county leaders think
The call for representation was also made during a Feb. 9 meeting of the Williamson County Commission, which unanimously approved (with one board member absent) a resolution “requesting the general assembly to pursue any and all options available to ensure that Nashville Electric Service customers residing in Williamson County are provided with appropriate representation and the governance of NES.”
Among the sponsors of the resolution was District 5 Commissioner Mary Smith, who is also running for Williamson County Mayor.
“When Williamson County families and businesses rely on NES for their power, they deserve a seat at the table in decisions that affect their service,” Smith told the Williamson Scene. “That’s why I supported Resolution 2-26-26 asking our state delegation to explore options to ensure customers outside Davidson County have appropriate representation.”
Another Williamson County mayoral candidate, Andy Marshall, also voiced his support for representation.
“Many Williamson County families and businesses depend on Nashville Electric Service, and they deserve to know their voices are represented when decisions are made that affect them,” Marshall told the Williamson Scene. “The recent ice storm was incredibly difficult for those who experienced extended power outages, disrupted routines, and real uncertainty in the middle of winter. Moments like that remind us how important proper planning, reliability, effective coordination, and clear communication are during emergencies. I fully support efforts to ensure Williamson County has representation on the NES board so the needs and concerns of our residents are part of those conversations and planning moving forward.”
One of those voices may be even more important if the bill is signed into law, with Boyd telling reporters on March 6 that county mayors would be the people to select a county representative to the NES board.
“It’s always good to have someone on the board of the people you represent,” current Williamson County Mayor Rogers Anderson told the Williamson Scene. “You can’t go wrong with making a spot for representation for people to serve on the board.”
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