Midwest urged to invest in clean energy

CHICAGO, June 8 (UPI) -- Emission limits, while costly, could be a catalyst for economic growth in the U.S. Midwest, the Chicago Council on Global Affairs said Monday.

Midwest leaders should shape emission policies now without waiting for the federal government to intervene, said a council task force of labor leaders, university presidents and manufacturing executives.

"Few regions are better positioned to reap benefits from a massive, new national-level effort to invest in infrastructure, new technology and green energy alternatives," the council's report stated.

Twelve Midwestern states account for nearly 30 percent of the nation's greenhouse gas emissions, primarily from burning coal for energy.

Because emission limits could dramatically increase the cost of burning coal, the region's manufacturing base needs to move toward clean energy technology, said Marshall Bouton, president of the non-profit, non-partisan Chicago council.

"The very fact of the Midwest's vulnerability to carbon constraints is its opportunity," Bouton said.