What makes community energy solutions last? Shared internet as a governance anchor for microgrid longevity in the Amazon – A mixed-methods study

Solar microgrids are a promising solution for remote electrification, yet many face sustainability challenges tied to governance, maintenance, and collective action. This paper argues that shared digital connectivity plays a critical, yet underexplored, role in reshaping electricity's social value off-grid. Using mixed-methods evidence from two community-managed solar microgrids in the Brazilian Amazon, we examine how internet connectivity reconfigures incentives for collective action and long-term stewardship. Our findings show that when electricity enables digital connectivity, energy infrastructures shift from low-priority goods to high-value systems, strengthening local governance, financial contributions, and maintenance engagement. Conceptualizing connectivity as a socio-institutional anchor, this study contributes to energy social science debates on governance and sustainability, offering a replicable framework for the Global South to overcome the ‘build-and-abandon’ cycle in off-grid projects.