In　this　paper,　a　distributed　cooperative　control　strategy　for　islanded　microgrids　(MGs)　is　proposed,　to　minimize　the　total　generation　cost　of　distributed　generators　(DGs),　and　maintain　the　state　of　charge　(SoC)　balancing　of　battery　energy　storage　systems　(BESSs).　First,　a　consensus-based　economic　dispatch　(ED)　strategy　is　proposed,　to　achieve　the　minimum　total　generation　cost　of　DGs,　while　the　aggregated　power　output　of　DGs　meets　the　power　dispatch　command　from　the　supervisory　control　system.　Further,　an　SoC-based　droop　control　strategy　is　developed　for　BESSs,　to　maintain　the　SoC　balancing　and　power　balance　in　the　islanded　MG　simultaneously.　Compared　with　the　centralized　control　schemes,　the　proposed　cooperative　control　strategy　is　fully　distributed　such　that　it　simply　requires　local　information　exchange　without　the　necessity　of　a　central　controller.　More　importantly,　the　proposed　cooperative　control　strategy　is　able　to　achieve　multiple　control　objectives　in　a　unified　framework.　Finally,　the　simulation　results　in　an　islanded　MG　with　renewable　energy　and　time-varying　load　demands　are　presented,　to　demonstrate　the　effectiveness　of　the　proposed　distributed　cooperative　control　strategy.　©　2020　Published　under　licence　by　IOP　Publishing　Ltd.