The power platforms
Gavin Newsom likes to talk about progressive energy plans – but not if they involve getting rid of PG&E

By Matthew Hirsch

On the campaign trail, mayoral candidates Matt Gonzalez and Gavin Newsom sound like they're talking about similar ideas for meeting San Francisco's energy needs. They both like to talk about conservation and renewable energy, about wind power and solar power. Both candidates emphasize environmental protection in their energy platforms, and both say they support shutting down Pacific Gas and Electric Co.'s Hunters Point power plant.

But for all the rhetoric, there's a key difference: Newsom still believes private companies like PG&E should play a major role in setting energy policy, while Gonzalez wants to shift much of the control to the public sector.

And even though Newsom can now trumpet his alliance with public power backer Angela Alioto, a look at his record and his platform suggests he's never going to take a strong stand against PG&E.

Gonzalez's array of proposals for environmental sustainability and green business practices extends beyond Newsom's "Clean Energy, Clean Air" policy brief.

Newsom says as part of his campaign platform that he wants to build public-private partnerships to increase renewable energy use and wants to add on to city programs, such as ones that invest in solar power and energy efficiency, that are already underway.

In contrast, Gonzalez favors closing the Hunters Point plant and Mirant Corp.'s Potrero Hill one, and he introduced a plan in May for the city to develop tidal power in place of fossil-fuel electricity.

The key here: the city would build and control the plants – and that means the voters would have direct say over how, where, and when they operate, and the public would benefit from the new revenue.

Gonzalez's unwavering position against the polluting PG&E and Mirant power plants and his willingness to work with environmental groups on energy policies has positioned him squarely on the side of organizations such as the Community Energy Coalition. Although the nonprofit groups in the coalition don't officially make endorsements in the mayor's race, Gonzalez will join the coalition Dec. 17 at PG&E headquarters to call for an immediate shutdown of the Hunters Point Unit Four generator. Newsom was also invited to the event, but as of press time he had not confirmed he would be there.

Newsom tries hard not to appear to be a PG&E proxy. Last year, for instance, he joined Gonzalez in putting public power on the ballot (although he opposed a measure to create a municipal utilities district to voters the year before). But he's never supported any move to take over PG&E's distribution system.

Alioto, who threw her support to Newsom in exchange for a promise that she would play some as-yet-undefined role in his administration, promised in her own campaign to quickly create a publicly owned utility if she were elected.

Alioto claims she will be Newsom's "vice mayor" for public power (along with overseeing homeless policies and contract reform), but Newsom insists there is no such title or deal (see "Behind Alioto's Move to Endorse Newsom," 11/26/03).

She told the Bay Guardian her strategy would be to gradually implement the proposals now being discussed at the Local Agency Formation Commission. The commission is currently working on a consultant's report that recommends city officials take over PG&E's transmission lines, a step Alioto's original campaign plan did not even include.

Alioto told us Newsom hasn't given her any reason to believe he would reject her public power plan, but she was also wary of stirring up the same discord over public power as she did over the nature of her partnership with Newsom. When asked for specifics on how she would deliver public power in a Newsom administration, she replied, "Can't you call me back on Dec. 10?"

E-mail Matthew Hirsch