Every system that distributes scarce goods requires rationing.

Sometimes, we ration equal amounts, based per person.

Sometimes, we ration unequal amounts, based on how many dollars/denars/quatloos each person is willing to pay.

Sometimes, we ration unequal amounts, by asking people who don't really need a good to voluntarily stop consuming it.

There are pros and cons to each system - but all of them are rationing systems.

It means everybody's bill can be lower than if they had an additional generating facility that they only sometimes needed but still have to pay off all of the capital and maintenance costs, and possibly fuel if it is a diesel plant which is typical for small islanded systems.

I think it is a victory if the community can work together to use less power when there is less supply rather then people using as much as they want and forcing rolling blackouts.

Everything is rationed, it's just normally done with tradeable allocations. There are plenty of people on the mainland whose electricity goes off from time to time because they can't afford to put money "in" the meter. A more acute form of rationing in some ways when people around them can afford more energy than they need.