President Donald Trump shakes hands with Energy Secretary Chris Wright, right, during an event with small business owners May 4, 2026, in the East Room at the White House in Washington. (AP Photo/Mark Schiefelbein, File)

License this photo

By JENNIFER McDERMOTT and ALEXA ST. JOHN

Updated 11:19 AM EDT, October 23, 2026

Share

Facebook

Copy Link copied

Print

Email

X

LinkedIn

Bluesky

Flipboard

Pinterest

Reddit

The U.S. designated helium as a critical material on Friday because it’s indispensable for making semiconductors that are essential to energy generation, and the global supply is at risk of disruption, according to the Energy Department.

The designation by the Energy Department means that more federal financing will be available for helium producers and that the government will monitor it more closely. Helium is primarily produced as a byproduct of natural gas processing. The United States is the world’s largest producer of natural gas and of helium.…