Xfinity Outage: Nashville Residents Face Prolonged Power Loss Amidst Criticism of Utility Response
NASHVILLE, Tenn. – As temperatures plummet, over 100,000 Nashville residents are enduring a prolonged Xfinity outage, sparking criticism of Nashville Electric Service (NES) for allegedly refusing assistance from available linemen. The situation has left many questioning the speed of power restoration efforts during dangerously cold conditions.
Union Claims Assistance Was Declined
Two members of the International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers (IBEW), speaking anonymously, claim NES declined offers of help from multiple union crews, potentially prioritizing less expensive contractors. “I’ve had a lot of people reach out trying to come to Nashville to help restore power,” one union member stated. “They keep getting the same answer – that NES is full and doesn’t need help… I just don’t think they want to pay the union rates.”
FOX 17 News investigations revealed that on Monday, the third day after the storm, NES had significantly fewer linemen in the field (under 300) compared to Middle Tennessee Electric, which had 200,000 fewer outages at its peak – a difference of 150 linemen. As of Tuesday, NES reported 700 linemen working to restore power.
Urgent Need for Additional Crews
With potentially a quarter of a million people without power, many argue that additional crews are urgently needed, regardless of affiliation. An out-of-state IBEW member reported that thousands of union linemen were available after being released from staging in North Carolina, which experienced a less severe storm. He stated that approximately 18,000 linemen were sent home or reassigned, but Nashville wasn’t on the list.
“Why are we 10 minutes down the road with 2,000 outages when we could be 15 minutes to Nashville and help out with more than 200 broken poles?” he questioned. “Union or non-union, they could bring in way more people… You think they would put all hands on deck, and flood that city with linemen and just get everything turned on as fast as they can.” He estimated a minimum of 2,000 linemen are needed, contrasting with the 18,000 staged in North Carolina.
NES Response and Ongoing Concerns
During a press briefing, NES representative Brent Baker stated, “As far as we know, no,” when asked if assistance had been refused. He explained that NES is utilizing pre-existing partnerships and mutual aid agreements, with crews arriving from Florida, Maryland, Kentucky, Indiana, Ohio, Mississippi, and other states. He emphasized the speed of mutual aid and existing contracts.
FOX 17 News has reached out to NES for clarification on specific crews turned away and the reasoning behind those decisions, but has not yet received a response. A community group has launched a petition urging NES to hire all available linemen, citing the risk to life as temperatures drop. Cecilia Prado of the Nashville People Power Committee warned, “People are already in temperatures in the 30s, and it’s going to be single digits again. People are going to die.”
A national representative for IBEW, Matt Spence, acknowledged receiving reports of union crews en route or already working in the area but couldn’t confirm specific numbers. FOX 17 News has also received numerous reports from viewers on social media alleging similar instances of NES declining assistance.
If you have information related to this story, please contact Kelly Avellino at FOX 17 News.
International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers (IBEW)
