The U.S. Department of Energy designated helium as a critical material on Friday, due to its indispensable role in the manufacture of semiconductors, which are essential for energy production; at the same time, there is a risk of disruptions to global supply.

This designation by the Department of Energy means that helium producers will receive more federal funding, and the government will also monitor them more closely. Helium is primarily a byproduct of natural gas processing. The United States is the largest producer of natural gas and helium in the world. Qatar and Russia are the other two major helium-producing countries.

Due to Iran's closure of the Strait of Hormuz due to wars with Israel and the United States, Qatar's helium exports have been severely reduced. Iranian attacks on Qatar's infrastructure have also affected supply. Russia implemented temporary helium export controls in April to protect its domestic supply.

U.S. Energy Secretary Chris Wright stated that the Trump administration is moving away from dependence on foreign sources of critical materials, strengthening domestic manufacturing, supporting American jobs, and ensuring a supply of materials necessary for the U.S. economy and national security.

In a statement, Wright said, "President Trump is revitalizing American manufacturing, which means ensuring that we have the materials necessary to produce products again in the United States."

Helium is recognized by the U.S. Department of Energy as the 20th critical material. The last material to be listed was metallurgical coal, which is used in steel manufacturing, back in 2025. The only other gas on the list is fluorine.

To be included in the list of critical materials, a non-fuel mineral element or substance must play a key role in one or more energy technologies, and its supply chain must face a relatively high risk of disruption.

Helium makes balloons float, but that's not the reason why the Department of Energy pays attention to it. Helium plays an important role in the production of wind energy, solar energy, and nuclear energy, in space exploration, in medical imaging, and in scientific research.

Audrey Robertson, assistant secretary of the Office of Critical Minerals and Energy Innovation at the Department of Energy, stated that helium has unique properties that make it irreplaceable. For example, it is non-flammable and has the lowest boiling point among all gases. She added that the United States needs an adequate supply of helium for use in semiconductors, quantum computing, supercomputing, and superconducting magnets.

In an interview, Robertson said, "We need to ensure that these items can be manufactured in the United States. Helium is one of the components that could potentially become a single point of failure, and we cannot allow that to happen. That's why we want to include it on the list based on legal authority, but I believe its importance goes beyond just birthday parties." She added, "It truly relates to the future competitiveness and energy security of the United States, and we consider this to be national security."

The United States has two classifications: critical minerals and critical materials, which overlap to some extent. In 2018, the United States Geological Survey (USGS) listed helium as a critical mineral, but it was removed from subsequent lists as it was believed at that time that the domestic supply of helium was secure.

Grishma Gadikota, director of the Lennest Hall Center for Sustainable Energy at Columbia University, stated that although there are environmental concerns regarding the recovery of helium from natural gas, there are also opportunities.

She said, "If we burn natural gas, it will result in a large amount of carbon dioxide emissions. But if you only extract helium and utilize it, its use itself may not necessarily increase greenhouse gas emissions."

She added, "From a climate perspective, if we continue down the path of extracting natural gas and recovering helium, I would prefer to see natural gas utilized in a way that allows us to directly produce hydrogen and also generate solid carbon. Hydrogen is a clean fuel, and solid carbon can achieve permanent carbon sequestration."

Limited helium production in the United States

In the past, Texas had a strategic national reserve of helium similar to the United States' Strategic Petroleum Reserve. In 2013, Congress called for its privatization. In 2024, the Bureau of Land Management completed the sale of the federal helium system to the industrial gas company Messer.

In 2025, the United States produced 81 million cubic meters of helium, accounting for 43% of the global supply. Of this, 38 million cubic meters were exported. Since 2021, the United States has been producing approximately 80 million cubic meters of helium each year.

Wyoming, Kansas, Texas, Oklahoma, Colorado, and Utah possess large reserves of helium gas. Despite the abundance of helium resources, helium extraction facilities are nearing their capacity limits, and it takes several years to approve and build new facilities, which continues to limit production in the United States, according to the Department of Energy.

According to federal data, as of 2023, the factories that extract the most helium are located in Kansas, Texas, Colorado, New Mexico, Arizona, and Oklahoma.

Some individuals in the helium industry have been urging the U.S. government to officially designate helium as a critical resource. Avanti Helium Corp, a North American natural gas exploration company, states that this measure is urgent, as North American supply needs to be increased to avoid dependence on foreign sources.

Gadikota said, "We can actually integrate the entire manufacturing chain from raw materials to finished products in the United States and reduce our dependence on overseas sources. This will bring more refining, recycling, and utilization capabilities to the U.S., and it will also truly justify the investment of American taxpayers in helium production and refining-related projects."

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