U.S. Designates Helium as Critical Material, Citing Semiconductor and Supply Chain Risks

The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) announced on Friday, Oct. 23, that Secretary of Energy Chris Wright has designated helium as a critical material under the Energy Act of 2020 [1]. The department made the designation because helium is indispensable for making semiconductors essential to energy generation, and the global supply is at risk of disruption.

The move means more federal financing for helium producers and closer government oversight of the supply chain.

The designation follows a 60 Minutes report that examined the impact of the Iran war on the world's helium supply, CBS News reported. Helium is the 20th material on the department's critical materials list. https://tinyurl.com/7dcrvh29