Gov. Mike Dunleavy (R-AK) on Friday urged the Trump administration to prioritize the development of a major graphite mine that is pending federal approval. 

In June, the Graphite Creek project became the first mine in Alaska to become part of the FAST-41 dashboard, the government’s fast-track permitting program. Dunleavy, in August, revealed a further partnership with the federal Permitting Council to streamline the development. Still, full project approval to make sure Graphite Creek is in compliance with extensive federal permitting and environmental regulations is expected to take at least another year. 

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Dunleavy reiterated the impact he believes Graphite Creek will have on national security and the economy this week in a Newsweek op-ed that expressed hope that President Donald Trump “and his administration will recognize that graphite presents yet another opportunity where Alaska can help make America great again.”

“The United States has a 100 percent import reliance on this important mineral—and China controls the vast majority of global processing,” Dunleavy warned. “It doesn’t take a national security expert to realize that, as with other critical minerals, allowing a foreign adversary to monopolize supplies of this important resource jeopardizes our economy and national security.”

The Alaska governor’s appeal to Trump’s MAGA agenda comes as the White House has pressed manufacturers to bring jobs onshore and bring industry back from overseas. Undermining China’s stronghold on critical minerals by expanding domestic production of graphite, a material in increasing demand that goes into the lithium-ion batteries powering electric vehicles, energy systems, and electronics, should be an essential piece of Trump’s “America First” priorities, Dunleavy has suggested.

“President Donald Trump rightly understands that rebuilding American manufacturing requires transformational change on multiple levels,” the Alaska governor said. “But rebuilding American manufacturing also requires the United States to develop its own sources of raw materials—and Alaska can help on this front too….developing American resources means the mining jobs associated with this project will benefit Alaska’s economy.” 

ALASKA AND PERMITTING COUNCIL PARTNER TO FAST-TRACK ENERGY PROJECTS

As Dunleavy angles to take control of graphite production from China, the Trump administration remains locked in trade talks with Beijing that have taken place over the course of months, citing national security and economic issues, among other matters.

The White House said earlier this month that Trump is “willing to look anyone in the eye to deliver better results for the United States — such as fairer trade practices after decades of ripping off American industries,” arguing that due to the president’s leadership, “our country is strong again, and we are no longer ceding any ground to China on manufacturing, technology, or military capability.”