I'm a Taurus. The animosity of the Cylons' leader seems to indicate they are the later, not the former. Development of a science fiction otherworld such as this is paramount to its success. The most powerful mineral-based generator is a nuclear fission reactor. Fission is the least powerful form of nuclear energy.
Fusion relies on hydrogen, which is plentiful in the universe.
No mining needed for that. Fission suggests these ships are all relatively low-speed, sublight vehicles. For once, they took the vipers away from the monotonous dogfights with Cylon raiders and showed them tackling a unique situation. Even though the footage of the mines being attacked was repetitive, the shots were juxtaposed quickly and cleverly enough to remain effective. The real dramatic effect here was not limited to the special effects, but instead a mixture of musical score, the complaints by the pilots about flying blind, and the Core Control voices guiding the pilots to the mines.