WASHINGTON—The U.S. Department of Energy recently launched a $3 million prize to revitalize domestic solar panel manufacturing. The program will support entrepreneurs as they develop transformative ideas into concepts and then into early-stage prototypes ready for industry testing.

WASHINGTON--The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) and the National Association of Manufacturers (NAM) have formed a strategic partnership that focuses on sustainability in manufacturing.

SAN FRANCISCO--The battle for the midsized, middle-class electric car market is revving up as high-tech upstart Tesla scrambles to get its Model 3 out to buyers in the face of strong competition from Detroit mainstay General Motors, reports Seeker. Deliveries of the GM-produced Chevy Bolt have increased significantly, while Tesla continues to deal with persistent production delays.

In January 2017, students from Eindhoven University of Technology in the Netherlands unveiled the world’s first car made almost entirely from bio-based materials.

BUFFALO, NY--Tesla Inc. has kicked off production of its long-awaited electricity-producing shingles that Elon Musk says will transform the rooftop solar industry. Manufacturing of the photovoltaic glass tiles began last month at a factory here built with backing from New York State, the company said in an email Tuesday.

WASHINGTON--The Bureau of Labor Statistics recently reported that the United States added 196,000 factory jobs in 2017, including 25,000 jobs in December. Scott Paul, president of the Alliance for American Manufacturing, says that factory jobs are growing at a faster rate than jobs in the overall economy.

WASHINGTON--New orders for manufactured goods fell 0.1 percent in October from the month before, according to a report from the Commerce Department on Monday, but that was better than the 0.4 percent decline expected in a consensus estimate from analysts. This latest performance followed an upwardly revised September hike of 1.7 percent.

WASHINGTON--The U.S. manufacturing sector has weathered a bumpy road over the course of the past two decades, but successfully righting the country's industrial ship would mean an economic windfall of $530 billion, according to a new report from The McKinsey Global Institute.

As automakers and suppliers search for new ways to reduce vehicle weight, some engineers are experimenting with natural fibers. Bamboo, cotton, hemp, jute, kenaf, rice and other crops can be used to produce high-strength composite structures for automotive applications.

WASHINGTON--The Trump administration is advocating for a more balanced trade relationship with Japan as high-level economic talks with the Asian nation advance this week in Washington, according to Vice President Mike Pence.