It is a historic day for Alaska’s resource development sector: Graphite One Inc.’s Graphite Creek Project has been officially added to the Federal Permitting Dashboard of the White House’s Federal Permitting Improvement Steering Council (FPISC), making it the first critical mineral project in Alaska to receive this designation.
The inclusion under the FAST-41 program signals national priority status for the company’s ambitious plan to develop the largest known graphite deposit in the United States, located about 60 kilometers north of Nome.
Graphite, an essential component in lithium-ion batteries and critical technologies including energy storage, defense systems, and artificial intelligence infrastructure, is currently not produced in the US at scale.
The FPISC dashboard, hosted on Performance.gov, tracks high-impact infrastructure projects that require federal permitting and environmental review. Projects listed under the FAST-41 (Fixing America’s Surface Transportation Act, Title 41) designation benefit from a more efficient, coordinated federal permitting process. Inclusion signals that the U.S. government considers the project vital to economic growth, energy independence, and national security.
For Graphite One, this means:
- Streamlined Permitting: A defined, transparent permitting timeline aimed at reducing red tape and agency delays.
- National Priority Status: Public affirmation of the project’s strategic importance in reducing reliance on foreign sources of graphite—especially China, which dominates global supply.
- Increased Investment Confidence: Enhanced visibility for investors and stakeholders, on top of the $37.3 million already secured from the Department of Defense under the Defense Production Act.
“This marks a major milestone not just for Graphite One, but for Alaska and America’s critical mineral strategy,” said Graphite One CEO Anthony Huston in a company statement. “As the largest natural graphite deposit in the nation, adding Graphite Creek to the FAST-41 permitting dashboard sends a strong signal that Alaska is key to US critical mineral development.”
The decision to list the Graphite Creek Project comes at a time when Alaska is increasingly viewed as a linchpin in America’s critical mineral strategy.
Under Gov. Mike Dunleavy, the state has pushed aggressively to unlock its vast mineral and energy resources, including support for the $44 billion Alaska LNG pipeline and new mining ventures.
The Graphite Creek Project alone holds an estimated 71.2 million tons grading 5.2% graphitic carbon, based on a feasibility study completed in May. That is three times the output projected in 2022.
The Trump administration has prioritized critical mineral production under several executive orders aimed at bolstering national defense and energy infrastructure. Graphite One’s project fits squarely into that agenda, offering domestic production of a material essential to electric vehicle batteries, renewable energy grid storage, aerospace and defense systems, AI hardware, and high-performance computing.
The company aims to begin production by 2028, pending environmental and permitting reviews.
Just think about how much more economical such projects would be if there existed a railroad from Fairbanks to Nome?
Not only from Fairbanks to Nome, but also, Fairbanks to Deadhorse. Think of the additional savings with transportation costs for future development involving oil and gas.
You are so right Robert. The benefit would be enormous not only for Alaska but for the United States
what makes this a good projet is it doesn’t need a railroad that will cost billions to build and millions every year to maintain. It is close to an existing road system connecting to an existing port. the cheapest way to move freight is by sea. What would really help development is cheaper energy costs. Maybe a LNG power plant in Port Clarence would be a better use of state funds. Been following this project for years two stories at once here. Hasn’t helped the stock price.