Day 1 Executive Orders Include Focus on Encouraging Domestic Critical Mineral Production & Expediting Federal Permitting Processes
VANCOUVER, BC, Jan. 23, 2025 /CNW/ - Graphite One Inc. (TSXV: GPH) (OTCQX: GPHOF) ("Graphite One", "G1" or the "Company"), welcomes the Executive Orders ("EOs") issued on January 20, 2025 by President Donald Trump on energy, Critical Minerals and the importance of Alaska to U.S. Critical Mineral development and American energy independence.
Graphite One Logo (CNW Group/Graphite One Inc.)
"Having received two grants from the Department of Defense and a $325 million Letter of Interest from the EXIM Bank, we are actively analyzing these new Executive Orders to determine how G1 can further accelerate our project to contribute to national goals relating to U.S. innovation, economic development and national security," said Anthony Huston, CEO of G1. "These Presidential actions confirm our 100% U.S.-based supply chain strategy. So much depends on the U.S. having a robust, reliable source of advanced graphite materials, and Graphite One intends to meet that need."
Three EOs in particular have the potential to impact G1's Graphite Creek project:
The Energy Emergency EO aims to facilitate "the energy and critical minerals ("energy") identification, leasing, development, production, transportation, refining, and generation capacity of the United States," to support development of the "…energy supply needed for manufacturing, transportation, agriculture, and defense industries, and to sustain the basics of modern life and military preparedness." Sections which the Company believes are relevant to Graphite One's complete U.S.-based advanced graphite supply chain include:
Sec. 2. Emergency Approvals
(a) "The heads of executive departments and agencies ("agencies") shall identify and exercise any lawful emergency authorities available to them, as well as all other lawful authorities they may possess, to facilitate the identification, leasing, siting, production, transportation, refining, and generation of domestic energy resources, including, but not limited to, on Federal lands. If an agency assesses that use of either Federal eminent domain authorities or authorities afforded under the Defense Production Act (Public Law 81-774, 50 U.S.C. 4501 et seq.) are necessary to achieve this objective, the agency shall submit recommendations for a course of action to the President, through the Assistant to the President for National Security Affairs."
Sec. 3. Expediting the Delivery of Energy Infrastructure.
(a) "To facilitate the Nation's energy supply, agencies shall identify and use all relevant lawful emergency and other authorities available to them to expedite the completion of all authorized and appropriated infrastructure, energy, environmental, and natural resources projects that are within the identified authority of each of the Secretaries to perform or to advance."
This EO addresses a range of federal policies with a focus on streamlining permitting processes to bolster U.S. energy dominance, eliminating or reducing current burdens in developing domestic energy resources, specifically on Critical Minerals. Key provisions for Graphite One are:
Sec. 5. Unleashing Energy Dominance through Efficient Permitting.
(d) "The Secretaries of Defense, Interior, Agriculture, Commerce, Housing and Urban Development, Transportation, Energy, Homeland Security, the Administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), the Chairman of CEQ, and the heads of any other relevant agencies shall undertake all available efforts to eliminate all delays within their respective permitting processes, including through, but not limited to, the use of general permitting and permit by rule. For any project an agency head deems essential for the Nation's economy or national security, agencies shall use all possible authorities, including emergency authorities, to expedite the adjudication of Federal permits. Agencies shall work closely with project sponsors to realize the ultimate construction or development of permitted projects."
Sec. 9. Restoring America's Mineral Dominance.
(e) "The Secretary of Energy shall ensure that critical mineral projects, including the processing of critical minerals, receive consideration for Federal support, contingent on the availability of appropriated funds."
This new EO recognizes the essential importance of Alaska – home of G1's Graphite Creek project, recognized by the USGS as the nation's largest graphite deposit and "among the largest in the world" – to U.S. Critical Mineral development and energy independence. Key passages include:
Sec. 2. It is the policy of the United States to:
(a) Fully avail itself of Alaska's vast lands and resources for the benefit of the Nation and the American citizens who call Alaska home; (b) Efficiently and effectively maximize the development and production of the natural resources located on both Federal and State lands within Alaska; and (c) Expedite the permitting and leasing of energy and natural resource projects in Alaska.
Sec. 3. Specific Agency Actions.
(a) The heads of all executive departments and agencies, including but not limited to the Secretary of the Interior; the Secretary of Commerce, acting through the Under Secretary of Commerce for Oceans and Atmosphere; and the Secretary of the Army acting through the Assistant Secretary of the Army for Public Works, shall exercise all lawful authority and discretion available to them and take all necessary steps to:
(i) Rescind, revoke, revise, amend, defer, or grant exemptions from any and all regulations, orders, guidance documents, policies, and any other similar agency actions that are inconsistent with the policy set forth in section 2 of this order, including but not limited to agency actions promulgated, issued, or adopted between January 20, 2021, and January 20, 2025…."
With the United States almost 100 percent import dependent for anode active materials, Graphite One is developing a complete U.S.-based, advanced graphite supply chain solution anchored by the Graphite Creek deposit, recognized by the US Geological Survey as the largest graphite deposit in the U.S. "and among the largest in the world." The Graphite One Project plan includes an advanced graphite material and battery anode material manufacturing plant located in Warren, Ohio. The plan also includes a recycling facility to reclaim graphite and the other battery materials, to be co-located at the Ohio site, the third link in Graphite One's circular economy strategy. The building of these facilities remains subject to financing.
About Graphite One Inc.
GRAPHITE ONE INC. continues to develop its Graphite One Project (the "Project") to become 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, process and manufacture anode active materials primarily for the lithium‐ion electric vehicle battery market. As set forth in the Company's 2022 Pre-Feasibility Study, graphite mineralization mined from the Company's Graphite Creek Property, situated on the Seward Peninsula about 60 kilometers north of Nome, Alaska, would be processed into concentrate at an adjacent processing plant. Natural and artificial graphite anode active materials and other value‐added graphite products would be manufactured from the concentrate and other materials at Graphite One's proposed advanced graphite materials manufacturing facility to be located in northeastern Ohio.
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
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All statements in this release, other than statements of historical facts, including the impact the executive orders will have on the Company's current and future operations, the anticipated environmental impacts, and events or developments that the Company intends, expects, plans, or proposes are forward-looking statements. 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 certainty that tests of the Company's material will be successful or that such tests will result in the development of successful products. 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, changes in government policies regarding mining and natural resource exploration and exploitation, in particular any further changes to or the implementation of the EO's mentioned in this press release, 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.
