For the last five years, copper has taken something of a backseat in the mining industry from an investment perspective. Precious metals like gold and silver have dominated speculative capital inflow and a large number of companies operating in these latter two resource spaces have appreciated in line with the price of the underlying assets.

Recently, however, copper is once again finding its footing and could represent a considerable opportunity for early movers that want to pick up an exposure to the next wave of copper growth. The trend towards green energy, driven by electric vehicle (EV) adoption and the rise in the use of the lithium-ion battery over more traditional fossil fuels is going to boost demand for copper over the next 30 years considerably. EV’s use up to three times as much copper in their construction as do standard internal combustion vehicles. Lithium batteries require cobalt, which is a byproduct of the copper extraction process.

Companies operating the space (i.e. copper miners) look set to increase in valuation in line with the expansion in demand for copper over the period. With this in mind, here are two companies that might make for a rewarding exposure to this growth.

The two companies in focus are US Gold Corp (Nasdaq:USAU) and OZ Minerals Limited (ASX:OZL).

Let’s kick things off with US Gold Corp.

As its name suggests, US Gold Corp. isn’t a pure play copper exposure – the company is also a gold mining and exploration company. It’s based in the US, headquartered in Nevada, and has an operational focus in both Nevada and Wyoming. It’s the latter of these two states that is of interest here, with US Gold Corp.’s Copper King being the property that qualifies it for a position on this list.

The property is located in the Silver Crown mining district of southeast Wyoming, approximately 20 miles west of the city of Cheyenne, on the southeastern margin of the Laramie Range. In total, Copper King comprises about 1,120 acres that include two Wyoming State Mining Leases.