Local activists representing environmental, labor and economic justice organizations rallied in support of San Francisco’s Clean Energy Act yesterday on the steps of City Hall to put pressure on the city officials who have yet to get behind it. Representatives from the Sierra Club, League of Young Voters, ACORN, Green Party, Energy Action Coalition and San Francisco Tomorrow joined Assemblyman Mark Leno, Sups. Aaron Peskin, Ross Mirkarimi, Tom Ammiano, Gerardo Sandoval, Bevan Dufty, School Board President Mark Sanchez and dozens of other supporters of the Clean Energy Act just hours before the Board of Supervisors voted 7-4 to put the Charter Amendment on the November ballot.

The Clean Energy Act, a charter amendment sponsored by Mirkarimi and Peskin, is a proposal meant to address the crisis of global climate change by moving San Francisco from fossil fuels to clean, sustainable energy production. The proposal aims to do this by requiring the Public Utility Commission to determine the most effective means of providing clean, renewable and reasonably priced electric service to San Francisco and establishing an Independent Ratepayer Advocate to represent the interests of residents that purchase utility services from the city.

The Clean Energy Act will enable San Francisco to create a system of “green” accountability by adopting clean electricity mandates for the city of 51% by 2017, 75% by 2030, and 100% by 2040; standards that are far more moderate than those proposed by Al Gore last week.

Because this legislation would establish the PUC as an alternative retailer of electric power, thus breaking Pacific Gas and Electric’s monopoly on energy, PG&E has already launched an aggressive campaign against the Clean Energy Act. In mailers sent out to local residents before the Board of Supes vote, PG&E purposefully manipulated the Clean Energy legislation and framed the issue as being primarily about government takeover. While it is obvious the Clean Energy Act is first and foremost about energy conservation and creating a greener future, PG&E has tried to use lies and scare tactics to serve its own corporate interest.

Supervisor Mirkarimi, a longtime advocate for clean energy and public power, addressed supporters at Tuesday’s rally. Mirkarimi answered concerns about the government’s role in energy retail by emphasizing that the amendment is not a takeover scheme, and is only about the future of the environment. “The way the Act is written mandates study after study be presented to the Board of Supervisors,” Mirkarimi explained, which would create public accountability and close monitoring of the clean energy mandates. Mirkarimi also explained that public power has been highly successful in cities such as Sacramento, Los Angeles and Las Vegas, with public power currently providing 1 in 7 Americans with energy.

Supervisor Sandoval also addressed the crowd in support of the act, and urged his fellow supervisors to do the same when it came time to vote later that day. Sandoval challenged PG&E’s attempt to spin the Clean Energy Act as politicians acting against the people by explaining that this legislation serves “to emphasize the point that government does work” and has worked to serve the people. Many city officials and activists that spoke at the rally, including Mark Sanchez, who called out Mayor Gavin Newsom for his lack of support for the clean energy amendment and asked supporters to put pressure on the mayor and other unsupportive city officials.

The Board of Supervisors voted 7-4 to put the Clean Energy Act on the ballot -- with Supervisor Jake McGoldrick joining Newsom appointees Sean Elsbernd, Carmen Chu and Michela Alioto-Pier to oppose it. McGoldrick's vote was the most recent in a series of betrayals against progressives.

Paul Hogarth contributed to this report.