Energy systems are often defined by physical boundaries and framed as either connected (interconnected grids) or isolated (energy islands), yet this binary view obscures how they actually operate and are governed.

To move beyond this limitation, the concept of “island-ness” is introduced as a socio-technical analytical lens capturing varying degrees of isolation and connectedness across systems — from spacecraft, energy communities, and microgrids to geographically bounded islands and nation-states. Rather than treating islands as fixed categories, this lens shows how infrastructure design, governance arrangements, operational practices, resource dependencies, and collective perceptions combine to produce different forms of island-ness.

Motivations driving systems toward greater isolation or stronger connectivity include energy security and independence, climate goals, economic and technical constraints, ideological preferences, and broader geopolitical conditions, all of which both shape and are shaped by island-ness. Together, these factors influence infrastructure choices, governance arrangements, operational practices, and economic performance. As technologies evolve, ideologies shift, and geopolitical contexts change, the degree and character of island-ness change as well. Comparative case studies show how different combinations of motivations and conditions generate distinct configurations of island-ness.

Prof Parag’s talk will conclude with the case of Montserrat, a Caribbean island where recognising island-ness helps clarify vulnerabilities and opportunities. This case shows why analysing energy systems in isolation is insufficient and highlights links with other critical infrastructures through the co-location and co-design of water, sewage, and energy microgrids. At the same time, islands are embedded in wider geographical and social contexts, where regional exchange, cooperation, and shared identity shape opportunities and resilience. Viewed through this lens, islands emerge not as fixed entities but as dynamic configurations whose degree of island-ness changes over time.