President Barack Obama certainly seems to think so. He has called for the US to become energy independent and create a new "green economy".

"We will commit ourselves to steady, focused, pragmatic pursuit of an America that is freed from our energy dependence, and empowered by a new energy economy that puts millions of our citizens to work."

He has started by ordering the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to review its refusal of a waiver which had previously allowed California to set its own stricter vehicle emission standards. This had previously been snubbed by George Bush in favour of a more relaxed national standard.

"Now is the time to meet the challenge of this crossroads of history, by choosing a future safer for our country, prosperous for our planet, and sustainable."

It is expected that new cars and trucks produced by 2011 will now have to obtain an efficiency of 35 miles per gallon of fuel, under proposed legislation which was previously abandoned by the Bush administration.

Additional environmental measures to be taken include better insulation of home and government buildings and the doubling of renewable energy generation in the US. Whether this new energy approach by the US will include Hydrogen as a core element remains to be seen.