The referendum, on the ballot Nov. 2, would delay the enactment of California's 4-year-old climate legislation until the state unemployment rate -- now standing at more than 12 percent -- falls to no more than 5.5 percent for a full year.

Aimed at curbing the California's emissions by 15 percent by 2020, the 2006 legislation called for one-third of the state's electricity to come from renewable sources.

A White House spokesman told the Los Angeles Times that the president "is opposed to Prop. 23," calling the initiative "a veiled attempt by corporate polluters to block progress toward a clean energy economy."

"If passed, the initiative would stifle innovation, investment in R&D and cost jobs for the state of California," the spokesman said.

Those favoring the ballot measure contend that California's emissions rules would lead to job losses. But opponents say the climate legislation would encourage growth in the clean energy sector and that attaining 5.5 percent unemployment for a full year is unrealistic and would in effect impede the new regulations indefinitely.

"Proposition 23 sends a message that clean energy companies aren't welcome in California," Gore said in a statement Wednesday. "If it were to pass, California would lose -- and our nation would lose -- the best opportunity to create hundreds of thousands of clean energy jobs."

The initiative has proved to be a contentious issue for those on next month's ballot.

Democratic gubernatorial candidate Jerry Brown and incumbent U.S. Sen. Barbara Boxer, D-Calif., both oppose Proposition 23. While initially opposing it, Republican gubernatorial candidate Meg Whitman changed her position about a month ago and has said she would delay the climate targets by one year, as allowed by law.

California Secretary of State records show that, as of Wednesday, opponents of Proposition 23 raised more than $28 million for their campaign, compared to the "Yes" campaign's $9.1 million.

Aside from environmental groups, donors to the campaign to defeat Proposition 23 include Hollywood director James Cameron, who donated $1 million and Gates, who kicked in $700,000 Tuesday.

The bulk of support for Proposition 23 comes from the oil industry. San Antonio oil refiner Valero, which has two refineries, 80 company-owned gas stations and 1,600 employees in California, donated $4 million to the "Yes" campaign.

California Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger had sharp words for the oil sector's campaign.

"Does anyone really believe that these companies, out of the goodness of their black oil hearts, are spending millions and millions of dollars to protect jobs?" he said recently, The Washington Post reports.

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