18 Mineral Exploration | amebc.ca
PHOTO: COURTESY COMMUNITY ENERGY ASSOCIATION
range anxiety for people who might want to
drive an electric vehicle," says Janice Keyes,
senior manager with Community Energy
Association (CEA). The CEA is a 20-year-
old non-profit organization supporting
local governments and First Nations on
energy use and engagement across the
province. With this second phase, the CEA
is establishing the necessary infrastructure
in more isolated rural municipalities for
electric vehicles to get up to speed.
This collective e'ort knits the
various regions together to make them
a continuous travel corridor. "We are
looking at expansion on highways 16, 97
and now Highway 5 as a cross-regional
collaboration," says Keyes. The new
phase of EV infrastructure-building
hopes to encourage a significant increase
in EV adoption by the public as the
infrastructure needed for travel grows,
a larger echo of what occurred at the
completion of Accelerate Kootenays. The
larger northern and central B.C. network
covers twice the number of towns and
regions and provides opportunities to
support local economic development
and benefits for communities previously
underserved by a green vehicle network.
When considering these projects that
encourage the move towards a low-carbon
economy, diversifying local economies and
increasing the profitability of EV usage,
Bryan Cox, president and CEO of the Mining
Association of British Columbia (MABC),
notes that "Minerals and metals are very
important and their importance increases
in our very fast transition to a lower-carbon
economy. For example, when you think of
clean energy vehicles, they can require up to
four times the amount of copper to produce
than a standard combustion engine."
Communicating to the public that
minerals and metals are enablers of clean
energy applications and products is vital
and will further support the growth of EVs
and the infrastructure that supports them.
EV outreach at the Smithers Ride and Drive event in
2018, co-hosted by Community Energy Association
and the Town of Smithers.
