Brent Baker

The Electric Power Board meeting agenda included a review of the Winter Storm Fern, a recommendation for the designation of April 18, 2026, as Lineman Appreciation Day, and a recommendation to allocate TVA's Community Care matching contribution to Emergency Bill Assistance for low-income customers. Discussions also covered recommendations for purchases. The meeting involved a recess to facilitate a Civil Service Board Meeting, during which actions were taken that required subsequent ratification by the Electric Power Board.

The board meeting addressed several critical topics stemming from Winter Storm Fern. Key discussion points included an update on the storm's impact, independent review findings, and recommendations for approving consultants to implement a Storm Recovery Program Management Office (PMO) and conduct a LiDAR Storm Damage Review and Response Plan. Financial matters involved the recommendation for approval of a $140 Million Reimbursement Resolution for storm costs and the approval of utility bill assistance funding, including a $1 million donation to the Winter Storm Recovery Fund. The Board also discussed increasing the emergency spending authority for operational expenditures related to storm restoration up to $5 million per transaction. Furthermore, the meeting included recommendations for approval of substantial purchases and contracts, and a recess to ratify actions taken by the Civil Service Board.

The special board meeting focused on discussions following Winter Storm Fern recovery efforts. Key topics included thanking dedicated NES employees for their work during the storm, which impacted over 230,000 customers. The board plans to conduct an independent review to evaluate performance and identify areas for improvement, covering accountability from the board to the CEO. Discussions also covered financial support recommendations, including a proposed $1 million donation to the mayor's ice storm relief fund, derived from non-electric revenues. Furthermore, three critical steps to offset financial hardships for customers were announced: suspending disconnects and late fees through June, providing unlimited payment arrangements through December 2026, and enhancing online/call center service. Four immediate actions to improve future performance were outlined: enhancing emergency management leadership, addressing communications outage information and outage map improvements, revisiting estimated time of restoration practices for greater transparency, and assessing system resiliency, including undergrounding studies and vegetation management. Technical details regarding communications failures (like nested outage notifications) and system capacity limits during high volume were discussed.

The meeting agenda included a Safety Moment and reports from the Legal Committee. Key discussion items centered on the Winter Storm Fern Update, with recommendations for the approval of consultants for Storm Recovery PMO implementation and LIDAR storm damage review/storm response plan implementation. Other discussion items involved recommendations for approval of Utility Bill Assistance Funding and Purchases. Information-only reports covered the Financial Report, Quarterly Community Involvement and Economic Development Report, Quarterly Asset Manager's Report, Quarterly Home Uplift and Power of Change Update, Quarterly Operations Report, Identity Theft Prevention Policy Update, and the President's Report. The Board also planned to recess to a Civil Service Board Meeting, ratify actions taken by the Civil Service Board, and address miscellaneous items.

The Electric Power Board meeting included a storm update and a discussion on purchasing recommendations totaling over $11.3 million, which were subsequently approved. The Board also approved revisions to the NES Bylaws and Policy Manual, including retention categories for AI-produced transcriptions and Copilot prompt histories, and updates to allow flexibility in scheduling meetings. A strategic plan update was reviewed, focusing on customer focus, reliability, and affordability, with metrics planned for monitoring progress across five key pillars. Financial reports indicated favorable trends in sales margin and operating costs, with approximately 30% of the capital budget spent. Additionally, updates were provided on the C2M platform optimization, including Mobile App development, and the Corporate Communications and Sustainability programs, including TVA partnership efforts. The Board also convened a Civil Service Board meeting, approved its minutes, and subsequently ratified its actions.