The hurt of Texas

 Apart from Alaska all the states of the US except Texas  have agreements with the other sates that, if one of them runs short of electricity it can "borrow" from one of the two the "Interconnections"  (common power grids. )  Texas, run by Republicans, has stayed out of the collective support system in order to retain its independence (sovereignty?) and avoid external regulation.  Sounds familiar?

 Now that their electricity supply has failed becasue of unexpectedly cold weather, which has frozen up the wind-farms and made it difficult to pump the natural gas which keeps the generators going, there is no external help.

Texan families  are thus huddled together in primary schools to keep warm, some are without even enough water to drink, never mind wash (electricity is needed to pump it) and those who have water are advised to boil it before drinking or cooking as the purification plants don't work without electricity.

 Now that the UK has cast off co-operation with our nearest 27 neighbours it's intriguing to speculate  on which need we might be left high and dry.