08/10/26 Metropolitan Council Committee: Transportation & Infrastructure

This was a Metropolitan Council Committee meeting on Transportation & Infrastructure held on August 10, 2026, focused on Nashville Electric Service's (NES) tree trimming policies and their impact on power reliability and urban forestry. NES representatives presented data showing improved system reliability following the adoption of a 15-foot clearance trimming policy, replacing the previous 10-foot standard. The committee discussed ongoing data collection, cost-benefit analysis, and the importance of safety for line workers. NES committed to providing updated data and a formal evaluation comparing the two trimming standards by March 2027. The meeting also covered procedural aspects such as allowing homeowners to hire their own certified arborists for tree trimming near power lines, quality control measures, and public transparency through quarterly reports and vegetation management manuals. Action items included sharing data access links, formalizing homeowner arborist engagement processes, and scheduling a follow-up meeting in March to review new data and policy impacts.