Tampa , Florida ( CNN ) -- Americans consume more than 19 million barrels of oil a day as well as tons of coal and natural gas , raising questions about the future availability of those resources and the environmental impact of their development and use . President Barack Obama has heavily pushed an alternative energy agenda , his administration pouring billions of taxpayer resources into solar , wind and battery initiatives aimed at cutting dependence on foreign oil and changing how Americans view and use energy . In a new policy paper , his Republican rival for the White House , Mitt Romney , says , `` President Obama has intentionally sought to shut down oil , gas , and coal production in pursuit of his own alternative energy agenda . '' Romney wants more oil exploration , faster permitting , and state control of exploration on federal lands . It all adds up to the Republican refrain : `` Drill , baby , drill . '' Fact check : Obama education ad misleading . `` I will set a national goal of American and North American energy independence by 2020 , '' Romney pledges . But Obama says not so fast . `` Under my administration , America is producing more oil today than at any time in the last eight years -- at any time , '' Obama says . So who is telling the truth ? Despite a moratorium on offshore drilling prompted by the Deepwater Horizon spill in the Gulf of Mexico two years ago , domestic oil production has surged . Oil shale and natural gas production are also up sharply . However , much of this was set in motion years before Obama took office . While Obama has taken some steps to encourage production , he can not claim as much credit as he would like . Obama has , for sure , angered some oil and coal producers by steering federal money to alternative energy sources . But there is no evidence that he is trying to `` shut down '' traditional energy industries . It is also not clear that Romney 's plans would bring energy independence that much quicker , especially without a simultaneous focus on reducing consumption . So on both sides , the arguments run out of gas . Romney 's claim that Obama is trying to kill off old energy is false . And Obama 's claims of what he has accomplished are muddled . We rate them both misleading . Fact check : Romney 's welfare claims wrong .
Mitt Romney pledges energy independence for North America by 2020 . Romney says President Barack Obama is trying to kill traditional energy sources like coal . Obama takes credit for the America producing more energy at anytime in the last eight years . Comment: