Islands are fragile places, and not only because they have thin soils, small populations or one-resource economies. Consider electricity: as we note in a story this month, ratepayers on some islands have experienced sharp increases in electricity costs, and any island that generates its own power (Matinicus, Monhegan, Criehaven) is, like the lobster fishermen who live there, at the mercy of the market for diesel fuel. Islands that buy power from the mainland these days are paying more for what comes through their cables, and of course those systems are vulnerable to coastal storms and other disruptions. Two island electricity co-ops are seriously investigating alternative generating systems including wind power, and the interest in such technologies, as usual, goes up with the rising cost of the “conventional” alternative. Energy conservation has been a fact of life on islands for years, and while everyone knows that a kilowatt saved is good for the pocketbook, it’s equally true that people can reach their limits. Hence the obvious conclusion that islands are fragile places.