u/BeauLarkin3

Something clicked for me while reading through the latest copper and AI infrastructure numbers.

Everyone keeps talking about Nvidia, AI models, robotics, cloud growth, etc.

But almost nobody talks about what physically powers all of it.

The amount of electrical infrastructure needed over the next 10-15 years honestly sounds ridiculous.

S&P Global estimates global electricity demand could rise almost 50% by 2040. At the same time, AI data centers in the US alone could jump from 5% of total electricity demand to as much as 14% by 2030.

That means:

• more transformers
• more substations
• more transmission lines
• more underground cable
• more cooling systems
• more backup power systems

And copper sits inside basically every layer of that buildout.

One stat that really stood out to me was underground transmission lines using roughly 19,500 kg of copper per kilometer.

Per kilometer.

Now multiply that across entire countries modernizing grids simultaneously.

Feels like we’re entering a period where copper stops being viewed as a normal industrial commodity and starts being viewed as strategic infrastructure.

Curious if other people here think this eventually becomes one of the biggest long-term macro themes of the next decade.

NFA.

[ Removed by Reddit on account of violating the content policy. ]

Right now, NovaRed Mining (CSE: NRED / OTCQB: NREDF) is at an interesting technical point because the next catalyst is not drilling yet, it is geophysics.

North Lamont already showed early surface signals. The soil program included 43 samples, with copper reaching 379 ppm and a broader cluster averaging around 209 ppm. That gives a surface-level indication of a system.

But surface data alone is not enough. That is where IP and AMT come in. These methods help identify chargeability and resistivity patterns below the surface, which can show whether the surface geochemistry connects to deeper mineral structures.

Wilmac itself is large, about 39,700 acres (~62 sq miles), and sits roughly 6 miles from Copper Mountain Mine, which gives it strong regional context.

The advisory addition of Gregory Fedun, with 30+ years in capital markets and resource development, adds experience around how projects progress from data to development strategy.

MetalCore also adds a data layer, which is unusual in junior exploration.

The stock already had a strong move, but technically the system is getting better by day and is definitely worth watching.

Not advice.

The more details come out around the US copper tariff discussions, the more I think the market is underestimating the bigger picture.

A lot of people still think this is just about trade headlines.

I don’t think it is.

Current structure already includes:

• 50% tariffs on certain semi-finished copper products
• tariffs on intensive copper derivative products
• broader critical mineral supply chain reviews

Now the next major date is June 2026.

That’s when the Commerce Department is expected to deliver recommendations around refined copper imports.

Important detail:
This is NOT necessarily replacing the current tariff structure.

It potentially expands the tariff chain further up the copper value chain into refined copper itself.

Goldman Sachs reportedly expects at least:

1. 25% refined copper tariff scenario

while official documents discuss:

• 15% starting 2027
• 30% starting 2028

That distinction matters.

But either way, the direction is obvious:
the US wants more secure North American copper supply.

That’s where BC projects like $NRED become interesting to me.

Canada under CUSMA has a very clean narrative:

• stable jurisdiction
• traceable origin
• allied supply chain
• lower tariff risk
• existing mining infrastructure

And the copper backdrop keeps strengthening at the same time:

• Grasberg delays
• declining inventories
• smelter shortages
• long-term deficit forecasts

Feels like the market is slowly moving from:
“Where is copper cheapest?”

to:

“Where can copper supply actually be trusted long term?”

That shift could end up being very important for BC copper explorers over the next few years.

NFA

[supprimé]

I’ve been thinking about this scenario a lot lately. Copper is already sitting around ~$5.9/lb, and some models are pointing toward ~$6.1/lb in the near term. That’s not a crazy move from here, it’s like another 3–4%.

But the interesting part isn’t the metal itself. It’s how equities react, especially small-cap explorers.

If you look at recent behavior, NRED already showed how much leverage these names can have. Copper moved roughly +65% at one point, and NRED moved over +2,000%. That’s not a 1:1 relationship, it’s amplified exposure.

Now imagine copper stabilizes above $6/lb instead of spiking and falling. That’s a completely different environment.

Stable high prices tend to do three things:

• Increase investor confidence in long-term project economics
• Improve financing conditions for explorers
• Push more capital into early-stage assets looking for the next discovery

For a company like NRED, sitting at around ~$37M EV, that matters a lot. Because at that size, it doesn’t take huge capital inflows to move the valuation.

At the same time, the company is moving toward key milestones like geophysics and eventual drilling. So you’ve got both macro and project-level catalysts aligning.

And then there’s the supply side. A 317,000 tonne concentrate deficit in 2026 is not something you solve overnight. That kind of imbalance tends to support prices and keep the narrative strong.

So here’s the question I keep coming back to:
If copper holds above $6 and supply stays tight, do small explorers like NRED just drift higher, or do they re-rate aggressively once milestones hit?

Because historically, it’s been the second one.

Curious what others think, especially those who’ve traded previous copper cycles.