OPINION:
Helium is generally thought of as a novelty that makes your voice squeak when you inhale. The second most abundant element after hydrogen, helium is essential to semiconductor manufacturing, magnetic resonance imaging, fiber-optic production, aerospace launches, missile systems, superconducting defense technologies, nuclear detection equipment and the cooling systems that power advanced computing and artificial intelligence data centers.
Unlike oil, natural gas, rubber and other must-have components of America’s industrial supply chain, helium cannot be synthetically manufactured. Without reliable access to the element and a secure domestic reserve, America may be pushed to the sidelines in the race for global economic, technological and military supremacy.
That all may be happening now. Available supplies have been cut almost in half because a substantial share of global production and refining capacity has been disrupted by events in Ukraine and Qatar, as well as by the closure of the Strait of Hormuz. China, meanwhile, is tightening control over its exports.
The concentration of supply and increasing global uncertainty make the helium market more fragile than at any other point in recent history, as America’s own strategic position weakens because of a lack of alternatives.
This was not always the case. The United States established a helium reserve in 1925 to ensure reliable access to this critical resource for national defense and industry. Unfortunately, its management was privatized by Bill Clinton before being sold off to a German company with strong links to China by Joseph R. Biden, leaving the United States without a meaningful strategic buffer at precisely the moment global supply has become dangerously tight.
This is not simply a commercial issue. It is a matter of national resilience. As there are no viable substitutes, helium should be designated as a critical element under existing federal law, recognizing its unique strategic importance and unlocking tools already available for other nationally important resources. That would allow for expedited permitting, investment incentives, Defense Production Act authorities, enhanced research funding and greater support for domestic production and processing capacity.
Helium is as important to the nation’s economic growth and security as rare earth elements, uranium enrichment capacity and semiconductor manufacturing. Every advanced semiconductor fabricated using extreme ultraviolet lithography depends upon it. Every MRI scanner serving hospitals across America uses liquid helium to cool superconducting magnets. Missile defense systems, satellites, precision-guided munitions and many classified defense technologies similarly rely on helium’s unique physical properties.
America cannot wait until a shortage is disruptive before it acts. Congress should direct Interior Secretary Doug Burgum and Ned Mamula, the rare-minerals expert who is now director of the U.S. Geological Survey, to prioritize the reestablishment of a U.S. strategic helium reserve. It has the power to kick-start its development and should not wait a moment more to set the wheels in motion.
What was true in 1925 remains unchanged today. Strategic reserves exist to fill the gaps created during geopolitical crises. A modern reserve would stabilize domestic supply during disruptions while providing confidence to critical industries that depend on uninterrupted access to it. Some resources are too important to leave to chance, and helium is on that list.
Mr. Burgum and Mr. Mamula should also take the lead in ensuring that the states work together to accelerate responsible domestic development. Helium is typically recovered as a byproduct of natural gas production. In North America, only 1% of gas production contains extractable helium. Some of the richest formations have been found in the United States, particularly in the Four Corners region, within the Paradox Basin.
Developing these resources inevitably raises difficult environmental and regulatory questions upon which the states involved cannot agree. Washington should insist that local policymakers recognize the unique position this critical element occupies among natural resources. Regulatory frameworks should prioritize helium’s strategic value over environmental concerns and jurisdictional disputes among agencies.
History repeatedly demonstrates that strategic vulnerabilities become obvious only after a crisis exposes them. America learned this lesson with semiconductors, rare earth minerals and pharmaceutical supply chains. Helium may be the next critical resource demanding similar attention.
The United States still possesses world-class geological resources, technological expertise and industrial capability. What it lacks is a coherent national strategy that treats helium not as an industrial commodity but as a strategic asset essential to economic competitiveness, healthcare resilience and national security.
America may be sleepwalking into another strategic supply chain crisis. This time, it concerns a resource that underpins technologies including MRI scanners, semiconductor fabrication, missile defense and artificial intelligence. The current shortage should serve as a warning. The question is whether policymakers will act before it becomes a full-scale strategic crisis.
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