U.S. designates helium a critical material

The U.S. Department of Energy has added helium to its list of critical materials for energy, using authority provided by the Energy Act of 2020. A notice signed by the head of the Office for Critical Minerals and Energy Innovation formalizes the move, while a department press release attributes the decision to the Energy Secretary. The law defines a critical material as a non-fuel substance whose supply faces a high risk of disruption and that performs an essential function in one or more energy technologies, or a material already deemed critical by the Secretary of the Interior.

The Federal Register notice describes helium as a component that could constitute a single point of failure for key technologies. The Department of Energy links the listing to public objectives for artificial intelligence and data center infrastructure, citing presidential executive orders. The decision follows the earlier addition of metallurgical coal for steelmaking to the same energy-focused critical materials list.

The Department of Energy states that helium is indispensable for producing semiconductors, with no viable substitutes in many critical applications. The material supports domestic semiconductor manufacturing and advanced technologies that underpin economic activity. The department describes helium’s unique properties as essential to technologies that rely on superconducting magnets and specialized cooling.

In explaining the listing, officials tie helium directly to the expansion of artificial intelligence infrastructure in the United States. Growing AI and data center capacity depend on the ability to produce advanced semiconductors, and the department positions helium supply security as part of that broader technology strategy. The rationale echoes concerns over supply chain resilience and the need to avoid single points of failure in essential components.

Beyond semiconductor fabrication, helium is used in magnetic resonance imaging systems, specialized leak detection and a range of laboratory research and equipment relying on superconducting magnets. It is also employed in quantum computing, leak testing of gas infrastructure and other applications that connect directly to energy technologies. Additional high-tech uses include air-to-air missile guidance systems, medical MRI machines, cardio-pulmonary resuscitation pumps for heart surgery, fiber-optic cables, blimps, deep sea diving and testing of natural gas infrastructure.

Helium is an odorless, colorless and non-toxic noble gas that is lighter than air and is extracted as a byproduct of natural gas. It condenses at very low temperatures and is among the least reactive elements, making it difficult to trap at temperatures above freezing. These properties underpin its use in cryogenic and high-precision industrial systems where alternative gases would be unsuitable.

The most recent U.S. Geological Survey assessment cited in government documents reported 29 domestic helium-producing plants in 2025, along with multiple underground cavern storage sites. Texas hosted three helium storage caverns, including a storage site in Beaumont that was brought online to store excess production. In 2025, six new helium operations began producing in the United States: three in New Mexico and one each in Colorado, Kansas and Montana.

Sales of Grade-A helium and gaseous helium in the United States amounted to $970 million in the latest reported year. The Department of Energy notes that global helium demand is growing faster than production and that the United States holds vast reserves of helium-rich natural gas. At the same time, limited refining capacity and long permitting timelines constrain domestic output, contributing to supply risk.

The department’s decision occurs against a backdrop of disruptions in the global helium market, including a partial shutdown of Qatari production. In its justification, the department points to helium’s essential function in energy-related technologies and stresses U.S. manufacturing and economic security. The listing is formally tied to the statutory critical materials assessment process established by the Energy Act of 2020.

Neither the official notice nor the press release specifies concrete policy measures that will follow from the new designation. A news agency reported the listing could open access to more federal funding and closer monitoring of producers, but no detailed program has been outlined.