NES approves LiDAR scanning and wider clearances to accelerate tree trimming after January ice storm

Utility shifts vegetation strategy following widespread outages

Nashville Electric Service has approved the use of LiDAR scanning technology as part of a broadened vegetation-management approach intended to reduce tree-related outages following a major ice storm that struck the region in late January 2026. The utility has described the storm’s impact as unprecedented in its service area and has tied its new approach directly to lessons from restoration challenges experienced during that event.

At the peak of the storm, more than 230,000 customers in the utility’s footprint were without electricity. The restoration effort extended for nearly two weeks in some areas. NES has said most outages were caused by trees and large limbs failing under ice load and falling into electrical lines and equipment.

What changes: wider trimming, “ground-to-sky,” and gridwide scanning

NES is implementing a new clearance standard for overhead distribution lines: 15 feet of trimming clearance on both sides of a power line, replacing the previous 10-foot standard. The utility also plans to expand the style of trimming in many locations to “ground-to-sky,” a method that trims from the lower canopy to the top to reduce the likelihood that overhanging limbs above a line will break and fall into conductors during storms.

Alongside the clearance change, NES plans to begin using LiDAR technology starting March 2, 2026, to scan approximately 4,800 miles of overhead lines. LiDAR uses laser-based measurements to generate high-resolution, three-dimensional mapping of power lines, nearby vegetation, and surrounding terrain. NES has said the resulting 3D model will be used to identify areas where vegetation poses a higher risk and to help prioritize trimming work. The utility has also indicated that, after major weather events, LiDAR imagery can support faster field damage assessments by helping crews evaluate conditions where debris and ice limit visibility.

How this fits into NES’s existing tree program

NES has historically operated a cyclical trimming program across its service territory, with utility materials describing a multi-year trimming rotation. The utility has also maintained a tree planting program dating to 1989, reporting more than 65,000 trees planted since its inception and stating that some trees located directly under or within 15 feet of lines may be better removed than repeatedly reshaped.

Oversight and broader storm-response review

The operational changes are moving forward as NES’s board has also authorized an independent review of the utility’s response to the January storm. The board has expanded executive emergency spending authority and has indicated the review will examine operational performance, communications, preparedness, and technology. Separately, storm repair costs have been publicly discussed in a range that could place upward pressure on future customer bills.

• New trimming clearance: 15 feet (up from 10 feet) on each side of overhead lines.

• LiDAR start date announced by NES: March 2, 2026.

• Scanning scope cited by NES: roughly 4,800 miles of overhead lines.

Residents with storm-related electrical damage are generally required to use a licensed electrical contractor and complete inspection steps before service can be reconnected.