Hope for the U.S. hydrogen car industry

More members of Congress are championing the cause for alternative fuels.

There have been several proposals in the last few weeks urging the federal government to renew its support for hydrogen fuel. Many of these proposals seek merely to increase the funding of research and development programs. A new bill has entered the House of Representatives that could change the face of transportation in the country.

The bill, called the Open Fuel Standard Act, targets the auto industry specifically. Beginning in 2014, no less than 50% of new vehicles will have to run off alternative fuels. This standard rises to 80% in 2016 and again to 95% in 2017. The legislation notes currently existing alternative fuels, such as hydrogen and natural gas, but also takes into account the emergence of other fuels that have yet to be developed.

Congressman Roscoe Bartlett (R-MD) is one of the chief sponsors of the bill.

In a statement, Bartlett recently noted that the International Energy Agency documented that oil production had peaked in 2007. Since that time, oil production has fallen at a steady rate. As the world’s oil supply dries up, the price of oil rises. Bartlett believes that the Open Fuel Standard Act will give Americans a chance to end their dependence on oil before it is too late.

Support for alternative fuel has been growing in the Congress, despite the federal government’s recent budget cuts for hydrogen fuel programs. Much of this support in centered on hydrogen specifically. If the trend continues, hydrogen will become the nation’s fuel of choice.