Assemblers are ready for a manufacturing renaissance.

AGUASCALIENTES, Mexico—Nissan’s automotive assembly plant here is powered by natural gas from a nearby landfill.

COLORADO SPRINGS, CO—SwingGreen Inc., a manufacturer of heat-recovery systems, has opened a new assembly plant here.

LAFAYETTE, IN—Subaru’s assembly plant here has earned ISO 50001 certification for energy efficiency.

EVANSVILLE, IN—Earthcare Energy has begun hiring workers for its new assembly plant here. The company makes turbines that capture the energy contained in pressurized natural gas.

NORTHBROOK, IL—Underwriters Laboratories has launched a free Web-based tool to help manufacturers assess their corporate sustainability efforts.

NEWARK, DE—Bloom Energy has begun overhauling the old Chrysler assembly plant here. When finished, the new facility will mass-produce fuel cells and employ some 1,500.

WATERLOO, WI—One year after piloting the bike industry’s first carbon fiber recycling program, Trek Bicycle has recovered more than 31,750 kilograms of material from its manufacturing facility here.

SPRING HILL, TN—GM has upgraded the lighting at its assembly plant here, expecting to save some $800,000 annually in electricity costs.

NASHVILLE, TN—Tennessee manufacturers are increasingly emphasizing sustainability and going beyond preliminary steps such as cutting small amounts of waste.