History of NES

1879 - Thomas Edison invents a light bulb that holds light for several hours. This single discovery helps pave the way for the creation of a safe and affordable electrical lighting system.

1882 - Nashville's first electric light goes on display outside the State Capitol.

1890 - Cumberland Electric Light begins producing electricity at a tiny coal-powered plant on First Avenue North.

1910 - Electric streetcars, owned by Nashville Railway & Light Co., are the transportation of choice in Nashville.

1922 - Nashville's street car company merges into a new entity called the Tennessee Electric Power Co. (TEPCO).

1938 - TEPCO sues the Tennessee Valley Authority for trying to sell power in Nashville.

1939 - TVA wins the lawsuit and buys TEPCO for $79 million. Five-hundred employees of TEPCO become employees of the newly created Nashville Electric Service.

1950 - Construction begins on NES' headquarters at Church Street and 13th Avenue.

1951 - The "Great Blizzard" dumps eight inches of ice and snow on Nashville. NES crews work around the clock to restore power to some 80,000 residents left in the dark.

1976 - A severe energy crisis forces TVA to reduce their power generation causing prices to escalate.

1998 - A tornado rips through downtown and east Nashville. Seventy-five thousand customers are without power. NES suffers more damage to facilities and equipment than any other utility in recent history.

2009 - NES marks an important milestone - 70 years of providing reliable power to Nashville and surrounding counties.

2010 - Record rainfall causes widespread flooding and damage to Nashville icons, neighborhoods and downtown development.  Three NES substations are submerged by flood waters and 42,000 customers lose power.