The United States' new standards for energy sources are causing a stir across the country, and the government is facing some serious criticism on the eve of what could be the next technological revolution. The new standards, set to go into effect January 1st, 2055, call for the use of pure hydrogen in automobiles and the complete conversion of gas stations into hydrogen stations by mid-2055. While most major gasoline suppliers have already made the switch to hydrogen, the government is allowing an additional 6 months to give smaller competitors ample time to catch up. The original deadline of January 1st was moved to July 1st for this reason.

Congress has been heavily criticized in recent months for choosing to go ahead with the Alternative Energy Sources Bill of 2055. The bill, originally intended for 2057 at the earliest, was reassessed in Congress in October after pressure from large gas corporations who had already made the transition to hydrogen technology to try to get a head start on competition. Earlier this month, Congress decided to introduce the bill earlier than expected because of the rapid growth of hydrogen stations across America.

A survey released last week shows that the bill only sees approval from 55% of the nation. Many Americans have yet to purchase 100% hydrogen-efficient automobiles and if the plans take effect in the next year as planned, they will be left with cars running at a small percentage of their true power.

These regulations come at a crucial point in America. The shift completely away from hydrocarbons, some experts say, should have been done years ago, before there was it became absolutely necessary. Some believe that the shift should have been done as soon as possible, meaning the early twenty first century. However, there was a lot of resistance to this move, especially by those most dependent on cars for transportation, which at the time was the entire nation.

Only within the last fifteen years has the hydrocarbon problem escalated to the point where it had t be dealt with. Yet even fifteen years ago there was strong opposition to completely clean cars. The real driving force behind the change has been steadily increasing oil prices.

The switch to hydrogen fuel has many benefits for the future. Cities will be much cleaner, and the country will not rely so heavily on hydrocarbons for everyday life.

We spoke with Congressman Bill Mueller (D) of Michigan about the issues. Mueller claims that, "The concerns are as big in Congress as they are across America. Rest assured that we are doing everything in our power to make sure every American is satisfied with this bill." We will have more about this story as it develops.