Area mayors welcome green manufacturers
The mayors of St. Paul and Minneapolis say they will lay out the welcome mat for companies that make products which reduce greenhouse gas emissions.
The leaders of both cities embraced the steps outlined in a study released Tuesday by the BlueGreen Alliance, a partnership between the Sierra Club and the United Steel Workers. The report suggests the two cities are well poised to create so-called "green-collar" jobs in the areas of renewable energy, building and transportation.
St. Paul Mayor Chris Coleman says the cities need to better market the region to attract green manufacturers, which make anything from hybrid cars to wind-turbine parts.
"We have one of the greatest opportunities to seize this moment and to create new jobs through green manufacturing processes and green technologies -- if we do it strategically, if we work together, if we don't see this as a labor thing versus an environmental thing, but see it as a thing that the two communities can come together on," Coleman said.
The report did not delve into the future of specific sites, such as the Ford plant or the 3M facility on St. Paul's East Side. But Coleman said the report would help guide the development of those projects.
Create a More Connected Minnesota
MPR News is your trusted resource for the news you need. With your support, MPR News brings accessible, courageous journalism and authentic conversation to everyone - free of paywalls and barriers. Your gift makes a difference.