How important is it to have electrical fixtures on the island? Do you have enough counter space against the perimeter of the room to use your plug-in appliances exclusively there? Personally, I would hate the aesthetic effect of having a big pole going up to the ceiling with fixtures on it. I'd much rather live with an island that was for prepping food and (if big enough) for seating, eating breakfast, and conversing with the cook. There are LOTS of islands in beautiful kitchens on Houzz that are made of antique tables, movable rather than built in, without any electrical outlets on them.

Some examples:

Feeny made a great point. I have a 7 foot "builder's" island that didn't come with any outlets, but luckily there are enough outlets on the perimeter so I rare miss plugging in appliances on the island, and it helps to make the island clutter free.

Hi bswaltex,

I agree with Feeny and Dytecture, but if you feel you really need outlets at the island, I think the key is how well you can incorporate the columns. Including a second column can make all the difference, as it will add balance and is usually the best visual solution. The outlets can be installed in the island where ever you have room, and the column used as a conduit.

Here are a few nice examples:

bswaltex . . did you decide to run 1 column down the middle? Love to see a pic if you did.