# U.S. Designates Helium a Critical Material, Citing Semiconductor Use

By Riza Dagoc

Canonical URL: https://www.tokenpost.com/news/regulation/40042
Published: 2026-10-24T14:27:01.000Z
Updated: 2026-10-24T14:27:01.000Z
Section: Regulation

> The Oct. 23 decision was the Energy Department’s 20th critical-material designation and brings helium under the Energy Act of 2020 framework.

The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) designated helium a critical material Friday, Oct. 23, bringing the industrial gas used in semiconductor manufacturing into a federal framework for developing critical-material technologies.

Energy Secretary Chris Wright said helium is essential to producing “the semiconductors and advanced technologies that power our economy.”

The designation was DOE’s 20th critical-material designation. The Energy Act of 2020 framework supports development and commercialization of technologies tied to critical materials.

Helium is recovered as a byproduct of natural gas processing. Other uses include quantum computing, medical imaging, magnets and space rockets.