The February 2021 winter storm acquainted millions of people with a fact that few knew beforehand — Texas is on its own electric grid. Like Bob Dylan, Texas chose to go solo electric largely due to its independent spirit. It was quite the shift. There are just three electric grids in the continental United States: the Eastern Interconnection (states to the east of the Rocky Mountains), the Western Interconnection (the Rocky Mountains to the Pacific Ocean) and, you guessed it, the Texas Interconnected System. The story behind this begins in the late 1800s. Edison began producing electricity in 1882 in Manhattan, and Texas followed suit with its own small power plants soon after. It wasn’t until the World War I era that Texas electric companies began joining forces and connecting their grids. By World War II, the Texas Interconnected System was officially born. Several electric companies used the confederation to tie into large