Alaska Governor Mike Dunleavy Highlights Graphite One's Graphite Creek Project as Strategic to U.S. Critical Mineral Security

Alaska’s governor and prior FAST-41 designation highlight Graphite Creek’s potential role in a domestic graphite supply chain for the U.S.

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Graphite One (GPHOF) reported that Alaska Governor Mike Dunleavy has highlighted its Graphite Creek Project as a potentially strategic U.S. graphite source as the country seeks to secure critical mineral supply chains.

In an August 31, 2026 op-ed and subsequent TV interview, the Governor said new estimates suggest Graphite Creek alone could supply enough graphite to meet U.S. needs for a century. The U.S. Geological Survey identifies Graphite Creek as the largest known graphite deposit in the United States and one of the largest globally, while the United States remained 100% net import reliant for natural graphite in 2025.

Graphite One is advancing a vertically integrated, U.S.-based graphite supply chain, with mining and processing at Graphite Creek in Alaska, material transport via the Port of Nome, advanced graphite and anode material manufacturing in Ohio, and potential co-located recycling, all still subject to project financing.

The company notes that Graphite Creek became a “covered project” under the federal FAST-41 permitting process in June 2025, providing enhanced federal coordination and permitting transparency.

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Governor says Graphite Creek "Could provide enough graphite to meet the entire nation's needs for a century"

Graphite Creek is the largest known graphite deposit in the United States, according to the U.S. Geological Survey

U.S. remains 100% net import reliant for natural graphite

Graphite One advancing a complete U.S.-based graphite supply chain from Alaska to Ohio

VANCOUVER, BC, Sept. 8, 2026 /PRNewswire/ -- Graphite One Inc. (TSXV: GPH) (OTCQX: GPHOF) ("Graphite One" "G1" or the "Company") today highlighted comments from Alaska Governor Mike Dunleavy identifying the Company's Graphite Creek Project as a potentially significant domestic source of graphite as the United States seeks to strengthen critical mineral supply chains and reduce reliance on foreign sources.

Governor Dunleavy made the comments in a Fox News August 31, 2026 op-ed, "China is holding critical minerals hostage. Alaska can help end the threat," HERE highlighting Alaska's ability to help secure U.S. supplies of minerals essential to technology and national security. He later referenced Alaska's graphite potential in a Fox News television interview HERE.

In the op-ed, Governor Dunleavy noted that Alaska hosts known resources of 57 of the 60 U.S. government-designated critical minerals and specifically highlighted Graphite One's Graphite Creek Project north of Nome, Alaska:

"Among its many mineral deposits, Alaska holds a bountiful reserve of graphite in the aptly named Graphite Creek Project. New estimates suggest that this one reserve alone could provide enough graphite to meet the entire nation's needs for a century."

According to the U.S. Geological Survey, Graphite Creek is the largest known graphite deposit in the United States and one of the largest globally. The U.S. Geological Survey's 2026 Mineral Commodity Summaries also reports that the United States remained 100% net import reliant for natural graphite in 2025. 

"Governor Dunleavy's comments underscore the strategic importance of Graphite Creek to the United States," said Anthony Huston, President and CEO of Graphite One. "America remains entirely reliant on imports for natural graphite at a time when secure domestic supply is becoming increasingly important to advanced manufacturing, energy technologies and national security."

"Graphite One is advancing a fully integrated U.S. supply chain - anchored by Graphite Creek in Alaska and advanced graphite materials manufacturing in Ohio - designed to transform a world-class American resource into secure American supply," Huston continued.

"If America is serious about reducing its dependence on foreign graphite, domestic resources must be developed at scale. That is what Graphite One is being built to do." 

Sustained Support for Graphite Creek

Governor Dunleavy's support for Graphite One's domestic development strategy predates his latest comments.

The Governor previously nominated Graphite Creek as a federal High-Priority Infrastructure Project. In June 2025, Graphite Creek was subsequently accepted as a "covered project" under the federal FAST-41 permitting process, becoming the first Alaska mining project to be listed on the FAST-41 Permitting Dashboard.

FAST-41 provides enhanced federal agency coordination, greater permitting transparency and a comprehensive permitting timetable for covered infrastructure projects.

Graphite Creek serves as the upstream anchor of Graphite One's strategy to establish a complete U.S.-based advanced graphite materials supply chain.

Graphite One's U.S. Supply Chain Strategy

Graphite One is advancing a vertically integrated domestic graphite strategy designed to reduce U.S. dependence on foreign-sourced graphite and establish an American supply chain extending from raw material through advanced materials manufacturing.

The Company's strategy includes:

• Mining and processing natural graphite at Graphite Creek, Alaska
• Transporting graphite materials through the Port of Nome
• Manufacturing advanced graphite and anode materials in Ohio
• Potential co-located recycling of graphite and other battery materials

This integrated approach is designed to establish a domestic supply chain spanning resource development, advanced materials manufacturing and potential recycling - supporting the development of a circular U.S. graphite materials economy and continues to remain subject to project financing.

About Graphite One Inc.

GRAPHITE ONE INC. continues to develop its Graphite One Project (the "Project"), with the goal of becoming an American producer of high-grade anode materials that is integrated with a domestic graphite resource. The Project is proposed as a vertically integrated enterprise to mine and process natural graphite and to manufacture artificial and natural graphite anode active materials primarily for the lithium-ion electric vehicle battery and energy storage markets.

On Behalf of the Board of Directors

"Anthony Huston" (signed)

For more information on Graphite One Inc., please visit the Company's website, www.GraphiteOneInc.com

On X @GraphiteOne

Neither the TSX Venture Exchange nor its Regulation Services Provider (as that term is defined in the policies of the TSX Venture Exchange) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release.

Forward-Looking Statements

All statements in this release, other than statements of historical facts, are forward-looking statements, including, without limitation, statements regarding the significance of the Graphite Creek Project as a domestic source of graphite and other U.S. government initiatives for domestic critical mineral supply chains; statements regarding the size and ability to mine the Graphite Creek Project deposit, the timing and advancement of the Graphite One strategy to manufacture graphite and co-locate recycling of graphite and other battery materials; and the timing and availability of project financing. Generally, forward-looking information can be identified by the use of forward-looking terminology such as "proposes", "expects", "is expected", "scheduled", "estimates", "projects", "plans", "is planning", "intends", "assumes", "believes", "indicates", "to be" or variations of such words and phrases that state that certain actions, events or results "may", "could", "would", "might" or "will be taken", "occur" or "be achieved". The Company cautions that there is no assurance that Graphite Creek Project will result in sourcing all the graphite required in the United States, that the Project will receive all permits required pursuant to FAST-41 or at all, or that the project will receiving any funding opportunities, financing, procurement preferences, government contracts, accelerating permitting, regulatory approvals, commercial opportunities, or other benefits to the Company. Although the Company believes the expectations expressed in such forward-looking statements are based on reasonable assumptions, such statements are not guarantees of future performance and actual results or developments may differ materially from those in the forward-looking statements. Factors that could cause actual results to differ materially from those in forward-looking statements include market prices, exploitation and exploration successes, continuity of mineralization, uncertainties related to the ability to obtain necessary permits, licenses and title and delays due to third party opposition or regulatory processes (including the EIS), changes in government policies regarding mining and natural resource exploration and exploitation, and continued availability of capital and financing, and general economic, market or business conditions. Readers are cautioned not to place undue reliance on this forward-looking information, which is given as of the date it is expressed in this press release, and the Company undertakes no obligation to update publicly or revise any forward-looking information, except as required by applicable securities laws. For more information on the Company, investors should review the Company's continuous disclosure filings that are available at www.sedarplus.ca.

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SOURCE Graphite One Inc.

FAQ

What specific graphite supply chain strategy is Graphite One pursuing in the United States?

Graphite One is pursuing a vertically integrated domestic graphite strategy designed to reduce U.S. dependence on foreign-sourced graphite. The plan includes mining and processing natural graphite at the Graphite Creek deposit in Alaska, transporting graphite materials through the Port of Nome, manufacturing advanced graphite and anode materials in Ohio, and the potential co-located recycling of graphite and other battery materials. This integrated approach is intended to span resource development, advanced materials manufacturing and potential recycling, and remains subject to project financing.

What does FAST-41 status mean for the Graphite Creek Project?

Graphite Creek was accepted in June 2025 as a “covered project” under the federal FAST-41 permitting process, after being nominated by Governor Dunleavy as a High-Priority Infrastructure Project. FAST-41 provides enhanced federal agency coordination, greater permitting transparency and a comprehensive permitting timetable for covered infrastructure projects, which is intended to make the overall permitting process more predictable.

How does Graphite Creek fit into U.S. critical mineral security concerns?

The U.S. Geological Survey identifies Graphite Creek as the largest known graphite deposit in the United States and one of the largest globally, while the United States was 100% net import reliant for natural graphite in 2025. In his op-ed, Governor Dunleavy wrote that new estimates suggest the Graphite Creek reserve alone could provide enough graphite to meet the entire nation’s needs for a century. The company states that this underpins Graphite Creek’s potential strategic importance for advanced manufacturing, energy technologies and national security.