Daijiworld Media Network - Nashville

Nashville, Feb 6: A prolonged power outage in Tennessee’s capital following a severe storm has triggered a sharp political row, with Republican leaders blaming “woke” policies at Nashville Electric Service (NES), even as residents continue to grapple with days-long blackouts and officials across party lines agree the utility mishandled the crisis.

Nearly 11 days after the storm, around 6,000 customers in Nashville and surrounding counties remain without electricity. The outage, blamed largely on fallen trees and delayed restoration efforts, has already been linked to two suspected carbon monoxide deaths in Davidson County — a 39-year-old man and a 92-year-old man — both found in homes with generators nearby.

There is broad bipartisan consensus that NES struggled to mobilise sufficient workers and equipment, leading to slow restoration and widespread frustration. Some residents were even incorrectly informed that power had been restored to their homes, compounding anger over what many described as poor communication.

Nashville Mayor Freddie O’Connell, a Democrat who appoints the board overseeing NES, initially defended the utility but this week called its response “unacceptable” and announced a formal review.

However, Republican leaders have gone further, arguing that the crisis stems from misplaced priorities. Senator Marsha Blackburn, who is running for governor, alleged on social media that NES was “so focused on woke policies and DEI that it failed at its most basic responsibility: keeping the power on.”

Tennessee House Speaker Cameron Sexton echoed the criticism, calling for an overhaul of the utility and accusing its leadership of prioritising diversity initiatives and a “pro-tree canopy policy” over essential maintenance. He said executive management should be fired and the board replaced.

NES chief executive officer Teresa Broyles-Aplin rejected the accusations, saying workers were responding to the largest storm and outage in the company’s history. “Accountability is important,” she said at a news conference, adding that a detailed review would follow once restoration efforts were complete.

Conservatives have cited a 2024 report showing NES hosted more than 100 diversity, equity, inclusion and accessibility training sessions, along with claims that spending on contract tree and grass trimming had declined in recent years. Broyles-Aplin denied that tree-trimming budgets were reduced.

Republican leaders insisted the scrutiny was not partisan. State Senate Majority Leader Jack Johnson said lives had been lost and vulnerable residents were left without heat in freezing temperatures. “We’re going to do our due diligence,” he said.

Democrats, while critical of the utility’s response, rejected the attempt to link the failure to DEI policies. State Representative Jason Powell filed a bill mandating grid-resiliency plans for electric companies and dismissed claims that diversity initiatives caused the infrastructure breakdown.

For residents, the political battle has offered little comfort. Many said their primary concern was survival — keeping homes warm, schools open and children fed — rather than ideological debates.

Power restoration is expected to be completed by Monday, according to NES. Until then, thousands remain affected, underscoring what both critics and supporters agree is the need for accountability and a stronger, more resilient power system going forward.