Mineral Exploration

(Top) Local EV drivers share their northern B.C. travel experience at the Smithers Ride and Drive event, 2018; (above) EV charging station operated by the Town of Smithers; (below) an integrated approach to EV network planning to maximize community benefits. W inte r 20 1 8 15 PHOTOS: COURTESY COMMUNITY ENERGY ASSOCIATION Getting There First Clean energy cars are driven by B.C. mineral exploration and mining By HUGH GRAHAM and TRACEY SEXTON A boom is coming on four wheels for B.C.'s mining and mineral exploration industry. AME members throughout the province are actively engaged in exploring, discovering and developing projects for minerals and metals that are necessary in realizing a clean energy revolution – notably electric vehicles and the supporting infrastructure. Let's also not forget the increased requirement for key minerals and metals in other clean technology solutions such as wind turbines, solar cells, LED light bulbs and high-density batteries. According to the World Bank, many of these new energy technologies are in fact more material-intensive than traditional fossil-fuel-based energy systems. This increasing demand underscores the importance of base metals such as copper, nickel, zinc and molybdenum and associated products including germanium and the rare- earth minerals that are also critical for products in our clean energy future. Literally from the ground up, B.C.-based exploration, development and mining companies are critical to the rapidly expanding clean energy economy. And B.C.'s world-class expertise, combined with a strong regulatory system, anti-corruption and labour laws, lead the world in responsible exploration and extraction of minerals and metals, resulting in a greener economy and specifically contributing to the number of clean electric vehicles and supporting infrastructure. The number of electric vehicles (EVs) in B.C. is less than 9,000 now, but researchers estimate that number will increase to 300,000 by 2030. One of the barriers today for adoption of EVs is the necessary EV infrastructure and vehicle stock. That growing web of electric vehicle requirements – charging stations, local EV dealers and services – requires a critical expansion beyond the Lower Mainland towards northern British Columbia and into rural communities and towns that can directly increase their benefit from the mineral exploration and mining industry. With the support of organizations including BC Hydro, Fortis BC, the province of B.C.'s Ministry of Energy, Mines and Petroleum Resources and non-profit support groups such as the Community Energy Association, these benefits and the target for increasing EV usage makes the 2030 target achievable. For example, a program aimed to increase rural EV infrastructure, Accelerate Kootenays, is described as "Canada's first community-driven, collaborative strategy

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