Exhibit
99.1

BESS
903 Project Passes Major Permitting Milestone, Advancing PowerBank’s Ontario Battery Storage Pipeline
PowerBank’s
Second Battery Energy Storage System has secured Official Plan Amendment and Zoning Bylaw Amendment approvals
Toronto,
Ontario, August 4, 2026 — PowerBank Corporation (Nasdaq: PBK) (Cboe CA: PBK) (FSE: 103) (“PowerBank” or
the “Company”), a leader in independent energy development and asset ownership in North America, is pleased to announce
that on July 21, 2026, the 903 BESS project (the “Project”) secured Official Plan Amendment and Zoning Bylaw Amendment
approvals, representing a significant regulatory milestone. These approvals conclude the longest and most complex phase of the permitting
process, which included extensive public consultation. The project is now progressing through Site Plan Approval with receipt of all
permits required to commence construction expected in Q4 2026. This marks PowerBank’s second battery energy storage system (BESS)
project in Ontario to achieve this permitting milestone.
In
July 2023, the Project secured a 22-year contract through the Independent Electricity System Operator’s (IESO) Expedited Long-Term
RFP (E-LT1 RFP). The fixed capacity payment of $1,221/MW per business day is well above the $876/MW average for storage projects that
were part of the E-LT1 RFP process.
The
battery energy storage systems market is projected by Grand View Research to grow from US$17.4 billion in 2026 to US$99.7 billion by
2033, a 28.3% compound annual growth rate, with data centers representing the largest end-use segment of demand.1 Transmission
and distribution-connected battery storage projects provide reliability benefits to existing electricity grids. In what is known as energy
arbitrage, the storage systems will discharge their capacity during periods of peak demand and high prices and then re-charge from the
grid when demand and prices are low. Utilities and system operators pay for these benefits to the grid via capacity payments. As the
proliferation of artificial intelligence and data centers drives significant growth in electricity demand across North America, battery
storage is increasingly viewed as a critical technology for maintaining grid reliability and enabling the rapid, flexible delivery of
power that these facilities require.
The
Project is owned by 1000234763 Ontario Inc., in which PowerBank holds a 50% stake, with the remaining 50% owned by a partnership of First
Nations communities in Ontario.
PowerBank’s
proven expertise, with over 100 MW of completed projects and a development pipeline exceeding 1 GW, underpins the project’s execution.
Strategic partnerships and institutional-grade development capabilities position PowerBank to deliver reliable, high-impact energy solutions.
These capabilities are increasingly valuable as AI and data center growth place unprecedented demand on the North American grid.
There
are several risks associated with the development of the Project. The development of any project is subject to required permits, the
continued availability of third-party financing arrangements for the Company, the risks associated with the construction of a battery
energy storage project and the degradation of battery storage capacity over time based on the number of discharge cycles. In addition,
governments may revise, reduce or eliminate incentives and policy support schemes for battery energy storage, which could result in future
projects no longer being economic. Please refer to “Forward-Looking Statements” for additional discussion of the assumptions
and risk factors associated with the projects and statements made in this press release.
About
PowerBank Corporation
PowerBank
Corporation is a vertically integrated and independent North American energy company helping to power the digital economy. The Company
develops, builds, owns, and operates solar and battery energy storage systems that deliver reliable and resilient power to the electricity
grid, commercial and industrial clients, and municipal and residential off-takers. As AI and digital infrastructure drive unprecedented
electricity demand, PowerBank is uniquely positioned to deliver the speed, scale, and energy independence that the next generation of
power consumers requires, without waiting years for permitting and grid interconnection. The Company has a potential development pipeline
of over one gigawatt and has developed energy projects with a combined capacity of over 100 megawatts built. To learn more about PowerBank,
please visit www.powerbankcorp.com.
Notes
[1]:
https://www.grandviewresearch.com/industry-analysis/battery-energy-storage-systems-market
FORWARD-LOOKING
STATEMENTS
This
news release contains forward-looking statements and forward-looking information within the meaning of Canadian securities legislation
(collectively, “forward-looking statements”) that relate to the Company’s current expectations and views of future
events. Any statements that express, or involve discussions as to, expectations, beliefs, plans, objectives, assumptions or
future events or performance (often, but not always, through the use of words or phrases such as “will likely result”,
“are expected to”, “expects”, “will continue”, “is anticipated”, “anticipates”,
“believes”, “estimated”, “intends”, “plans”, “forecast”, ”projection”,
“strategy”, “objective” and “outlook”) are not historical facts and may be forward-looking statements
and may involve estimates, assumptions and uncertainties which could cause actual results or outcomes to differ materially from
those expressed in such forward-looking statements. In particular and without limitation, this news release contains forward-looking
statements pertaining to the Company’s expectations regarding its industry trends and overall market growth; the receipt of final
permits for the Project; the commencement of construction of the Project; the future operation of the Project; and the size of the Company’s
development pipeline. No assurance can be given that these expectations will prove to be correct and such forward-looking statements
included in this news release should not be unduly relied upon. These statements speak only as of the date of this news release.
Forward-looking
statements are based on certain assumptions and analyses made by the Company in light of the experience and perception of historical
trends, current conditions and expected future developments and other factors it believes are appropriate, and are subject to risks and
uncertainties. In making the forward looking statements included in this news release, the Company has made various material assumptions,
including but not limited to: obtaining the necessary regulatory approvals; that regulatory requirements will be maintained; execution
of definitive agreements for suitable solar or BESS sites; that power is available to be sufficient to support a modular data center;
general business and economic conditions; the Company’s ability to successfully execute its plans and intentions; the availability
of financing on reasonable terms; the Company’s ability to attract and retain skilled staff; market competition; the products and
services offered by the Company’s competitors; that the Company’s current good relationships with its service providers and
other third parties will be maintained; and government subsidies and funding for renewable energy will continue as currently contemplated.
Although the Company believes that the assumptions underlying these statements are reasonable, they may prove to be incorrect, and the
Company cannot assure that actual results will be consistent with these forward-looking statements. Given these risks, uncertainties
and assumptions, investors should not place undue reliance on these forward-looking statements.
Whether
actual results, performance or achievements will conform to the Company’s expectations and predictions is subject to a number of
known and unknown risks, uncertainties, assumptions and other factors, including those listed under “Forward-Looking Statements”
and “Risk Factors” in the Company’s most recently completed Annual Information Form, and other public filings
of the Company, which include: the Company may be adversely affected by volatile solar power market and industry conditions; failure
to execute definitive agreements for suitable solar or BESS sites; power availability may not be sufficient to support a modular data
center; the execution of the Company’s growth strategy depends upon the continued availability of third-party financing arrangements;
the Company’s future success depends partly on its ability to expand the pipeline of its energy business in several key markets;
governments may revise, reduce or eliminate incentives and policy support schemes for solar and battery storage power; general global
economic conditions may have an adverse impact on our operating performance and results of operations; the Company’s project development
and construction activities may not be successful; developing and operating solar Project exposes the Company to various risks; the Company
faces a number of risks involving Power Purchase Agreements (“PPAs”) and project-level financing arrangements; any changes
to the laws, regulations and policies that the Company is subject to may present technical, regulatory and economic barriers to the purchase
and use of solar power; the markets in which the Company competes are highly competitive and evolving quickly; an anti-circumvention
investigation could adversely affect the Company by potentially raising the prices of key supplies for the construction of solar power
projects; foreign exchange rate fluctuations; a change in the Company’s effective tax rate can have a significant adverse impact
on its business; seasonal variations in demand linked to construction cycles and weather conditions may influence the Company’s
results of operations; the Company may be unable to generate sufficient cash flows or have access to external financing; the Company
may incur substantial additional indebtedness in the future; the Company is subject to risks from supply chain issues; risks related
to inflation and tariffs; unexpected warranty expenses that may not be adequately covered by the Company’s insurance policies;
if the Company is unable to attract and retain key personnel, it may not be able to compete effectively in the renewable energy market;
there are a limited number of purchasers of utility-scale quantities of electricity; compliance with environmental laws and regulations
can be expensive; corporate responsibility may adversely impose additional costs; the future impact of any global pandemic on the Company
is unknown at this time; the Company has limited insurance coverage; the Company will be reliant on information technology systems and
may be subject to damaging cyberattacks; the Company may become subject to litigation; there is no guarantee on how the Company will
use its available funds; the Company will continue to sell securities for cash to fund operations, capital expansion, mergers and acquisitions
that will dilute the current shareholders; and future dilution as a result of financings.
The
Company undertakes no obligation to update or revise any forward-looking statements, whether as a result of new information, future
events or otherwise, except as may be required by law. New factors emerge from time to time, and it is not possible for the
Company to predict all of them, or assess the impact of each such factor or the extent to which any factor, or combination of factors,
may cause results to differ materially from those contained in any forward-looking statement. Any forward-looking statements
contained in this news release are expressly qualified in their entirety by this cautionary statement.
For
further information, please contact:
PowerBank
Corporation
Tracy
Zheng
Email:
ir@powerbankcorp.com
Phone:
289.439.4718
Source:
PowerBank Corporation