Latest news with #CelesteMaloy
Yahoo
18-07-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Utah Rep. Maloy proposes way to honor the nation's 250th birthday
WASHINGTON — Visitors could enjoy national parks for free on next year's Constitution Day to celebrate the country's 250th anniversary under a new proposal introduced by Utah Rep. Celeste Maloy this week. The Semiquincentennial Tourism and Access to Recreation Sites, or STARS Act, would direct the secretary of the Interior to designate Constitution Day as an 'entrance-fee free day' at all National Park Service sites next year. If passed, it would open the gates on Sept. 17, 2026, for all visitors to commemorate the 250th birthday of the United States. 'How do you properly celebrate 250 years of freedom? Maybe the best way is to spend time in what Wallace Stegner called 'the best idea we ever had'— our national parks,' Maloy said in a statement. The bill would open access to more than 400 sites across the country, including national parks, battleground sites, monuments and other cultural landmarks. By waiving entrance fees, Maloy said it highlights the role of public lands in U.S. history and 'honors the legacy of freedom, resilience, and patriotism that began in 1776.' Constitution Day is a federal holiday marking the adoption of the U.S. Constitution, marking the day the delegates signed the document at the Constitutional Convention in 1787. The holiday is observed every year to celebrate those who have become U.S. citizens. If passed, Maloy's proposal would join other mass efforts next year to mark the 250th anniversary of the United States. President Donald Trump earlier this month launched America250, a campaign promise to celebrate the country's 250th birthday with a yearlong celebration. America250 began at the Iowa State Fairgrounds on July 3 and several states, including Utah, have ongoing events to mark the occasion.
Yahoo
09-07-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Are national parks really at risk? Sen. Mike Lee pushes back on campaign against public land sales
WASHINGTON — Sen. Mike Lee and Rep. Celeste Maloy are defending a proposal to sell federally owned land after environmental groups launched a campaign against the proposal, included in the Senate version of President Donald Trump's tax bill. The groups accuse congressional Republicans of trying to siphon off millions of acres of federal land to help pay for Trump's tax cuts. But Lee and Maloy, both Utah Republicans, say maps circulated by groups like the Wilderness Society are misleading, and come from national groups that don't understand the local issues at play. The decades-long debate over whether to sell off federally controlled land was reignited last week after Lee drafted language requiring 11 Western states to sell between 2.2 million and 3.3 million acres over the next five years. The proposal is tucked into a larger bill of energy-related provisions meant to offset trillions of dollars in proposed tax cuts in Trump's reconciliation package. The proposal has prompted pushback, mostly beyond the handful of states it directly affects. Public land advocates and outdoor groups have criticized the legislation — even attracting the attention of some celebrities, such as actress Sydney Sweeney who said this week that public lands 'belong to all Americans, and it is the patriotic duty of every citizen to resist this scheme.' Lee rejected that characterization, responding in a post on X: 'Great—if federal land is an unmitigated good, then every state should have an equal share of it.' The online discourse has resulted in conflicting interpretations about what the legislation would do — or wouldn't do, in some cases. Here's a breakdown of the basic components of the bill and how different groups are responding. Under the bill, 11 states would be required to sell anywhere between 0.5% and 0.75% of all Bureau of Land Management and U.S. Forest Service lands, which could total up to a maximum of 1.5% in some cases. The legislation specifically applies to Utah as well as Alaska, Arizona, California, Colorado, Idaho, Nevada, New Mexico, Oregon, Washington, and Wyoming. About 63% of Utah's land is owned by the federal government, the most of any state in the country aside from Nevada. The federal government owns more than 80% of the land in Nevada. By comparison, the federal government owns just 0.3% of the land in Connecticut and Iowa, the least among the states. The bill would require the land be used only for 'the development of housing or to address associated community needs,' although it does leave that interpretation up to the secretaries of Interior and Agriculture. Lee has said there will be updates to the legislation that would further restrict what lands can be sold, mandating that those being sold by the U.S. Forest Service are within two miles of a population center and those being sold by the Bureau of Land Management are within five miles. The Utah senator notes lands with existing permits for grazing, mining, mineral leases, or more would also be exempt. The bill outlines 15 categories of protected land that cannot be sold for housing purposes. These include national monuments, national historical parks, recreation areas, conservation areas, units of the National Wildlife Refuge System, units of the National Fish Hatchery System, national trails, national memorials, battlefield sites and military parks, among other things. However, conservation groups such as the Wilderness Society have circulated maps depicting lands they believe would fall under the bill's definition of public lands. The map shows popular hiking trails, ski resorts and grazing areas the group says would be at risk under Lee's proposal. Those lands stretch across the Wasatch Front to include Big Cottonwood Canyon, Little Cottonwood Canyon and Parleys Canyon. Lee has pushed back against those characterizations, with his office arguing the Wilderness Society map is not an official government document and is 'speculative and misleading.' Rep. Celeste Maloy, R-Utah, who led a similar public lands sales proposal in the House earlier this year, also rejected the Wilderness Society map, warning it's part of an agenda from a 'national group that may have no understanding of Utah.' 'People see that map and they get panicky,' Maloy told the Deseret News in an interview. 'I want people in Utah to be more thoughtful in how they respond to maps on the internet, because that map isn't part of any legislation.' 'Not every acre of public land is a national park. The vast majority of it is not,' Maloy added. 'We have a lot of sagebrush ground that is adjacent to cities and towns where we do have infrastructure needs, and we've got to be able to have serious conversations about how we handle the real needs of communities in Utah. It can't always devolve into loud rhetoric about parks and access.' Instead, the Utah lawmakers have maintained the bill does not list any lands 'for sale' but instead creates a nomination process to purchase lands currently owned by the government. The legislation excludes specific acreage as well as any maps to adhere to the strict Senate rules of reconciliation. 'When this bill puts land in the category of eligibility for sale, it doesn't mean for sale,' Lee told conservative radio host Glenn Beck on Thursday. 'It just means there's a process by which it could be transferred.' The process for selling off land would begin shortly after the bill is passed. The legislation requires the secretaries of the Interior and Agriculture to solicit nominations from interested parties within 30 days of passage. The bill does not specify who qualifies as an 'interested party' nor does it have restrictions. The lands under consideration must meet certain criteria, such as being adjacent to existing developed areas, having access to existing infrastructure, is suitable for resident housing, and contains isolated tracts that are inefficient to manage. After that initial solicitation, the secretaries must publish lists of land for sale every 60 days until they meet the required acreage of lands to sell in each state. However, the provision would require the interior secretary to consult with state and local governments as well as any Indian tribes before facilitating any sort of sale, according to the bill. That way, aides noted, it created a 'public participant process.' The bill also carves out what is known as 'first right of refusal,' which would give state and local officials an early opportunity to make a first offer if they so choose. When drafting her initial amendment, Maloy proposed selling about 11,000 acres of public lands in Utah's Washington and Beaver counties, which was drafted upon request from county officials. That proposal was ultimately removed from the tax bill amid pushback from some Republicans as well as concerns it did not adhere to strict reconciliation rules. Still, Maloy says the arguments influencing the original amendment still stand: Local leaders should decide whether to sell off public lands. 'Every event I have, especially political events, somebody asks, 'What are you going to do to get us more control of our public land?'' Maloy told the Deseret News. 'I think there's a big appetite for that in Utah. People want it to be thoughtful. They want more access, they want more control. They want more of a voice.' Lee's language is separate from Maloy's, although the Utah senator did work with the congresswoman when drafting his own version, he told the Deseret News. The proposal to sell off public lands is still an uphill battle in Congress, even with Trump's support on the issue. While some conservatives are supportive of the effort to sell federally owned lands to pay for Trump's signature tax cuts, other Republicans in Western states have come out against the proposal — particularly those in Montana. Both Republican Sens. Steve Daines and Tim Sheehy of Montana told the Deseret News they oppose the sale of public lands. However, they both noted separately they were pleased to see Montana exempted from Lee's proposal, which the Utah senator did after consulting with the pair. However, Rep. Ryan Zinke, R-Mont., has gone even further to say he would outright oppose any reconciliation package that includes the sale of public lands, possibly putting the bill at risk. 'I don't yield to pressure, only higher principle,' Zinke said in a statement. 'I have said from day one I would not support a bill that sells public lands. I am still a no on the Senate reconciliation bill that sells public lands. We did our job in the House. Let's get it finished.'
Yahoo
25-06-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
SolarEdge Expands U.S. Manufacturing in Salt Lake City, Utah
Now producing and shipping the SolarEdge 'USA Edition' Home Battery—advancing American energy independence and driving job creation with more than 2,000 new roles across three U.S. manufacturing sites SALT LAKE CITY, June 25, 2025--(BUSINESS WIRE)--SolarEdge Technologies, Inc. ("SolarEdge" or "the Company") (Nasdaq: SEDG), a global leader in smart energy technology, today announced the ramp up of its new manufacturing site in Salt Lake City, Utah. The site started manufacturing and shipping the SolarEdge 'USA Edition' Home Battery in Q1, marking a key milestone in the company's commitment to strengthening its domestic supply chain and supporting U.S. energy independence. This new manufacturing site reflects SolarEdge's long-term strategy to expand its U.S. manufacturing footprint, fulfill the rising demand for American-made energy storage solutions, and help customers meet domestic content requirements. The Salt Lake City site joins previously announced facilities in Florida and Texas, contributing to over 2,000 newly created jobs. SolarEdge will now produce its full U.S. residential inverter, Power Optimizer, and battery product suite on American soil, supporting high-skill, local manufacturing jobs while bolstering America's clean energy infrastructure with domestically produced technology. "In Utah, we are eager to be a part of our nation's energy solutions," said U.S. Representative Celeste Maloy (R-Utah-2). "It's time to build again in America, and this new manufacturing of battery storage solutions right here in Utah's 2nd Congressional district is evidence that our state is leading the charge." The SolarEdge Home Battery is a high-capacity energy storage system that integrates seamlessly with the Company's optimized inverters and power optimizers. Manufactured in the Salt Lake City facility, the battery features a dedicated SKU for simplified tracking and is designed to support compliance with domestic content requirements across a wide range of solar-plus-storage installations. The SolarEdge Home Battery is part of SolarEdge's advanced lineup of solar products that deliver smart, reliable, and incentive-ready solar-plus-storage solutions that help homeowners, TPOs, and commercial operators maximize energy savings, particularly during peak rate periods. "We're proud to be part of the manufacturing resurgence in America, as our investments represent a strategic commitment to the domestic market," said Marty Rogers, General Manager, SolarEdge. "This expansion not only supports our growth objectives, but reinforces our promise to customers: reliable, high-quality technology with shorter lead times and greater supply chain stability. The American energy tax credits have enabled the company to onshore its manufacturing and add to the critical energy infrastructure needed to meet growing U.S. energy demand. As Congress considers changes to clean energy tax credits, we encourage lawmakers to recognize how vital these incentives are for businesses to continue investing in domestic manufacturing and drive America's future energy dominance." About SolarEdge SolarEdge is a global leader in smart energy. By leveraging world-class engineering capabilities and with a relentless focus on innovation, SolarEdge creates smart energy solutions that power our lives and drive future progress. SolarEdge developed an intelligent inverter solution that changed the way power is harvested and managed in photovoltaic (PV) systems. The SolarEdge DC optimized inverter seeks to maximize power generation while lowering the cost of energy produced by the PV system. Continuing to advance smart energy, SolarEdge addresses a broad range of energy market segments through its PV, storage, EV charging, batteries, and grid services solutions. SolarEdge is online at View source version on Contacts Press ContactLily Salkin, Head of Public Investor ContactJB Lowe, Head of Investor Relationsinvestors@ Global Government Affairs ContactLiz Reicherts, Global Head of Government Sign in to access your portfolio
Business Wire
25-06-2025
- Business
- Business Wire
SolarEdge Expands U.S. Manufacturing in Salt Lake City, Utah
SALT LAKE CITY--(BUSINESS WIRE)--SolarEdge Technologies, Inc. ('SolarEdge' or 'the Company') (Nasdaq: SEDG), a global leader in smart energy technology, today announced the ramp up of its new manufacturing site in Salt Lake City, Utah. The site started manufacturing and shipping the SolarEdge 'USA Edition' Home Battery in Q1, marking a key milestone in the company's commitment to strengthening its domestic supply chain and supporting U.S. energy independence. This new manufacturing site reflects SolarEdge's long-term strategy to expand its U.S. manufacturing footprint, fulfill the rising demand for American-made energy storage solutions, and help customers meet domestic content requirements. The Salt Lake City site joins previously announced facilities in Florida and Texas, contributing to over 2,000 newly created jobs. SolarEdge will now produce its full U.S. residential inverter, Power Optimizer, and battery product suite on American soil, supporting high-skill, local manufacturing jobs while bolstering America's clean energy infrastructure with domestically produced technology. 'In Utah, we are eager to be a part of our nation's energy solutions,' said U.S. Representative Celeste Maloy (R-Utah-2). 'It's time to build again in America, and this new manufacturing of battery storage solutions right here in Utah's 2nd Congressional district is evidence that our state is leading the charge.' The SolarEdge Home Battery is a high-capacity energy storage system that integrates seamlessly with the Company's optimized inverters and power optimizers. Manufactured in the Salt Lake City facility, the battery features a dedicated SKU for simplified tracking and is designed to support compliance with domestic content requirements across a wide range of solar-plus-storage installations. The SolarEdge Home Battery is part of SolarEdge's advanced lineup of solar products that deliver smart, reliable, and incentive-ready solar-plus-storage solutions that help homeowners, TPOs, and commercial operators maximize energy savings, particularly during peak rate periods. 'We're proud to be part of the manufacturing resurgence in America, as our investments represent a strategic commitment to the domestic market,' said Marty Rogers, General Manager, SolarEdge. 'This expansion not only supports our growth objectives, but reinforces our promise to customers: reliable, high-quality technology with shorter lead times and greater supply chain stability. The American energy tax credits have enabled the company to onshore its manufacturing and add to the critical energy infrastructure needed to meet growing U.S. energy demand. As Congress considers changes to clean energy tax credits, we encourage lawmakers to recognize how vital these incentives are for businesses to continue investing in domestic manufacturing and drive America's future energy dominance.' About SolarEdge SolarEdge is a global leader in smart energy. By leveraging world-class engineering capabilities and with a relentless focus on innovation, SolarEdge creates smart energy solutions that power our lives and drive future progress. SolarEdge developed an intelligent inverter solution that changed the way power is harvested and managed in photovoltaic (PV) systems. The SolarEdge DC optimized inverter seeks to maximize power generation while lowering the cost of energy produced by the PV system. Continuing to advance smart energy, SolarEdge addresses a broad range of energy market segments through its PV, storage, EV charging, batteries, and grid services solutions. SolarEdge is online at
Yahoo
13-06-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Utah Rep. Maloy pushes against amendment to reinstate military reimbursements for abortion travel
WASHINGTON — Utah Rep. Celeste Maloy is pushing back against efforts to reinstate Biden-era policies directing the Defense Department to reimburse costs for service members who travel across state lines to obtain an abortion. During an appropriations hearing on Thursday, Maloy rejected an amendment seeking to implement a 2022 policy allowing for reimbursements for abortion-related travel and attach it to legislation funding the Defense Department for the 2026 fiscal year. Maloy argued the proposal runs afoul of the Hyde Amendment, a federal statute passed in 1976 prohibiting federal funds from going toward abortion costs, with few exceptions. 'The Hyde Amendment is a clear federal ban on abortion funding, except in the cases of rape, incest and life of the mother,' Maloy said in her remarks. 'It's been in place every appropriation cycle for 40 years. And I've been here, I've heard a lot of talk about partisanship and how this should not be a partisan bill, but this is a completely partisan amendment, whereas the Hyde Amendment has been a bipartisan consensus for four decades.' The amendment, proposed by a Democrat during the appropriations hearing, was ultimately rejected. The DOD issued a policy shortly after the Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade in 2022 that would allow military members to receive travel reimbursements and approved leave for abortion-related reasons. That policy was largely approved to allow service members in states where abortion was banned locally to travel across state lines if needed. That provision was criticized by Republicans and was rescinded shortly after Donald Trump took office in January and signed an executive order enforcing the Hyde Amendment and restricting taxpayer dollars from being used for any abortion-related reasons. Maloy pushed against reinstating that policy, arguing it forces taxpayers to fund travel and lodging costs for a procedure they may disagree with. 'The federal government must exercise restraint and respect diverse moral values of American people,' Maloy said. 'This amendment is not in the spirit of that neutrality, not in the spirit of the Dobbs decision or the Hyde Amendment.' 'This would allow the DOD to make federal abortion policy that isn't in keeping with what Congress has done through the Hyde Amendment, and that's a path that I don't think we should start to go down,' she added. 'Federal abortion policy should be uniform like it has been for 40 years through bipartisan consensus in the Hyde Amendment. Abortions, including abortion travel or enhanced leave policies designed to facilitate abortions, have no place in this bill.' Republicans overwhelmingly rejected the amendment and the House Appropriations Committee advanced the larger bill, the Fiscal Year 2026 Defense Appropriations Act. The legislation seeks to provide more than $830 billion to the Defense Department and includes policies to increase pay for military personnel, modernize weapons systems, codify some DOGE suggestions to cut 'waste, fraud and abuse' within the department, and more.
