Solid oxide fuel cells are capable of cleanly and efficiently generating energy from both hydrocarbon and hydrogen-base fuels. Numerous scientific, engineering, and economic obstacles must be overcome prior to the mass-market adoption of current solid oxide fuel cell designs. Of primary importance is the development of a low-cost metallic interconnect. Parts made from ferritic stainless steels (Fe-Cr alloys) are thermomechanically compatible with existing cell components and are considerably less expensive than ceramic interconnects. The oxide layer which form on metallic components during cell operation results in gradually increasing surface resistivity. The compounds which make up the surface layer also can migrate to and damage other cell components. The overall result is the degradation of operational efficiency and reliability. Long-term environmental test results for commercially available ferritic stainless steels will be presented, along with analysis and suggestions for performance enhancements.