Washington Classifies Helium as Critical Material as U.S. Sales Reach 81 Million Cubic Meters
Key Facts
The U.S. Department of Energy announced on October 23, 2026, that helium had been added to the list of critical materials under the 2020 Energy Act, linking gas supply security to the needs of U.S. manufacturing. The decision comes as global demand for helium is growing faster than production, according to the department, while refining capacity and lengthy permitting procedures limit the United States’ ability to increase supply. The designation matters for industries that rely on the gas in processes for which practical alternatives are unavailable in many critical applications, foremost among them semiconductor manufacturing. Assistant Secretary of Energy Audrey Robertson signed the notice in Washington on October 21, before it was published two days later. Robertson said helium “could be a single point of failure,” linking the security of its supply to future U.S. competitiveness and energy security, which she described as national security.
The addition of helium, according to the Associated Press, makes greater federal funding available to producers and brings closer government monitoring of the material. Section 7002(a)(2) of the 2020 Energy Act defines a critical material as a non-fuel mineral, element or material that the Energy Secretary determines faces a high risk of supply chain disruption and performs an essential function in one or more energy technologies. Helium is the twentieth material the department has identified for the list. Metallurgical coal used in steelmaking was the last material added before helium, in 2025, while fluorine is the only other gas on the list. The federal framework gives formal recognition to supply risks tied to helium at a time when its uses are linked to semiconductor and data center supply chains.
Helium is used in semiconductor manufacturing, natural gas infrastructure leak testing and quantum computing, as well as in medical and scientific applications. The U.S. Geological Survey estimated that controlled atmospheres, optical fiber and semiconductors together accounted for 17% of helium use in the United States in 2025; the figure does not apply to semiconductors alone. Magnetic resonance imaging accounted for 15% of U.S. use in the same year. These applications show how industrial, technological and medical demand for the gas overlap, with some critical processes relying on it because viable alternatives are unavailable in many cases. The designation therefore puts helium supply security among the manufacturing and supply chain considerations targeted by the department.
On the supply side, the U.S. Geological Survey estimated U.S. sales of Grade A helium and gaseous helium in 2025 at about 81 million cubic meters, valued at $970 million. According to the Associated Press, the United States produced 81 million cubic meters that year, equal to 43% of global supply, and exported 38 million cubic meters. U.S. exports fell from 41 million cubic meters in 2024 to 38 million in 2025. U.S. helium is produced mainly as a byproduct of natural gas processing, while Qatar and Russia are also major producers. The Associated Press also reported that U.S. production has been about 80 million cubic meters a year since 2021.
Global supplies have also faced pressure from production and export disruptions. The Associated Press said Qatari helium exports contracted sharply after Iran closed the Strait of Hormuz and Iranian strikes hit Qatari infrastructure. Russia imposed temporary restrictions on helium exports in April to protect domestic supplies. According to the agency, U.S. helium extraction facilities are operating at capacity, while permitting and construction of new facilities take years. The Energy Department adds that limited refining capacity and lengthy permitting procedures constrain domestic production, making capacity expansion a matter requiring time and investment in facilities.
At the same time, U.S. Geological Survey data show renewed activity in the U.S. sector: six new helium production operations began operating in 2025, and a gas storage cavern entered service in Beaumont, Texas. These developments follow the completion in 2024 of the sale of the federal helium system to Messer, carrying out a congressional directive to privatize it in 2013. The federal system’s facilities were in Texas before ownership transferred to the company. On April 4, 2026, EL7 reported that the shutdown of Qatari facilities threatened global helium supplies and the semiconductor sector. With the new designation, the next step is greater federal funding for producers and closer monitoring, according to the Associated Press.