WASHINGTON—The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) today announced that Secretary of Energy Chris Wright has designated helium as a critical material under the Energy Act of 2020. The designation advances the Trump Administration’s commitment to freeing America from reliance on foreign sources of critical materials, strengthening domestic manufacturing, supporting American jobs, and securing the materials essential to U.S. economic and national security.
“President Trump is bringing back America’s manufacturing industry, and that means making sure we have the materials needed to build things in America again,” said U.S . Secretary of Energy Chris Wright. “Helium is essential to producing the semiconductors and advanced technologies that power our economy. By designating helium as a critical material, we are taking another step toward securing our supply chains, creating American jobs, and ensuring the United States leads the world in energy and technological innovation.”
DOE determined that helium meets the statutory definition of a critical material due to its essential role in American manufacturing and growing exposure to supply chain risks. Helium’s unique properties make it indispensable to semiconductor production, with no viable substitutes in many critical applications. The United States has significant domestic deposits of helium-rich natural gas to support growing industrial demand.
“The U.S. Department of Energy is committed to strengthening our country’s supply chain of critical materials that are essential to continued economic and job growth, energy dominance, and U.S. leadership in cutting-edge technologies such as SI and semiconductors,” said Assistant Secretary of Energy Audrey Robertson. “Under Secretary Wright’s leadership, DOE is taking decisive action to ensure American manufacturers have reliable access to helium as a critical resource they need.”
Global demand for helium is growing faster than production, increasing supply risks for American manufacturers. Despite the nation’s abundant helium resources, limited refining capacity and lengthy permitting timelines continue to constrain U.S. production.
Learn more about critical materials and view the Federal Register Notice here.
