Discussing Energy Reliability & Affordability on Earth Day; Grants Awarded in the District

Rep. Danielle Friel Otten April 25, 2025 | 4:25 PM

PA Representative Danielle Otten banner image

Dear Neighbor,

I hope everyone is enjoying the sunny weather this week and was able to spend some time with family, friends, and loved ones over the holiday weekend. The House was back in session this week where we advanced several bills, all in a strong bipartisan manner.

On Tuesday, students from Dr. John Kennedy’s Pennsylvania Government and Politics class at West Chester University visited the Capitol. As a WCU alum and former Legislative Fellow with Dr. Kennedy, I always look forward to the opportunity to meet with West Chester students and share some insights as to how the Pennsylvania legislature operates.

West Chester University has a strong representation in the PA Legislature, with at least 10 alumni serving in either the House or Senate and numerous staffers working in the Capitol or in legislative offices, including Greg and Jacob right here in our Exton district office!

City & State PA: 2025 Energy Summit

On Tuesday, staff from my office attended the City & State PA 2025 Energy Summit in Harrisburg to hear from some of the leading environmental advocates, regulatory leaders, and government officials on the future of energy production in Pennsylvania. The event began with remarks from keynote speaker, PA Department of Environmental Protection Secretary Jessica Shirley. Secretary Shirley highlighted how climate events, the economy, and the emergence of AI have all contributed significantly to increases in energy usage, and how this increase in demand will result in increased costs for ratepayers unless we act soon.

According to PJM Interconnection, our regional electricity transmission operator, we will require 30 gigawatts (GW) of additional energy capacity by 2030 to meet our current demand. However, existing outdated practices at PJM have threatened our ability to approve new projects that would increase grid capacity and energy supply, resulting in a backlog of projects just waiting to be approved, known as the interconnection queue.

In December 2024 Governor Shapiro filed a lawsuit against PJM to prevent unnecessary energy price hikes on 65 million consumers, including 13 million Pennsylvanians. On Tuesday, it was announced that the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) approved a settlement with PJM, preventing significant price increases and saving consumers over $21 billion over the next two years.

Without Gov. Shapiro’s action, Pennsylvanians could have seen our energy prices triple this summer. However, without getting additional energy supply onto the grid to meet growing demand, even the governor’s welcome and necessary action will not be enough to prevent future increases.

In addition to pushing for additional regulatory reforms, such as speeding up the stalled interconnection queue, increased collaboration between member states, implementation of practices established by FERC, and reforming the capacity market, Gov. Shapiro and Secretary Shirley have advocated for the Governor’s Lightning Plan as way to diversify our power supply, create jobs, reduce emissions, and ensure safe, reliable, affordable power for Pennsylvanians for the long term.

This week, I was excited to reintroduce my PRESS legislation, a major component of the Governor’s Lightning Plan. Twenty years ago, Pennsylvania led the nation in forward-thinking energy policy by establishing the Alternative Energy Portfolio Standards (AEPS), which successfully promoted new and innovative forms of energy generation in our Commonwealth. Now, however, Pennsylvania is falling behind in the race to keep up with rapidly increasing energy demand.

By diversifying energy sources and adding more clean, reliable, and affordable energy to the grid, PRESS and other provisions of the Governor’s Lightning Plan will help to increase supply, maintain our energy independence, cement Pennsylvania’s place as one of the world’s top energy producers, and insulate consumers from rising utility costs resulting from global instability, foreign wars, increased domestic demand, and shortages in the existing, fossil-fuel dominated capacity markets.

Grant Awarded in the 155th Legislative District

On Wednesday, I joined Senator Katie Muth in announcing that $2.1 million in funding through the Pennsylvania Infrastructure Investment Authority (PENNVEST) has been allocated for protection efforts against forever chemicals in the drinking water supply at a well facility in Upper Uwchlan Township.

Aqua Pennsylvania will utilize the funding to replace both well pumps and install one train of anion exchange treatment vessels with prefiltration at their existing Friendship well facility. This project will minimize the presence of perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA) and perfluorooctanesulfonate (PFOS) chemicals in the finished water via treatment of the existing wells.

We all bear the costs of PFOA and PFOS contamination, whether directly through contaminated water or indirectly through public health consequences and environmental impacts. Given the prevalence of these forever chemicals in our drinking water supply, it is imperative that corporate polluters – not taxpayers or utility ratepayers – be held responsible for the ongoing costs of water treatment and environmental remediation.

I am pleased to see this project move forward with PENNVEST funding to help ensure the safety of drinking water for more than 400 customers within the Aqua PA Friendship Well service area.

Read more here.

PA Gun Violence Prevention Plan Briefing

When President Trump dismantled the White House Office of Gun Violence Prevention first established by President Biden in response to a growing gun violence epidemic, it became clear that state leadership would be needed now more than ever to keep our communities safe from the public health crisis of firearm violence.

Earlier this year, the Pennsylvania Office of Gun Violence Prevention unveiled its first-ever strategic plan to prevent gun violence across the Commonwealth. Gun violence touches every corner of our state, and we need all hands on deck to continue the progress we have only just begun to see at the federal and state level.

On May 2, the Pennsylvania Office of Gun Violence Prevention and Ceasefire PA will host a webinar on Preventing Gun Violence in All Its Forms. This briefing will offer lawmakers and the public an opportunity to hear directly from the Director of the PA Office of Gun Violence Prevention to learn more about their new strategic plan—and what we can do to keep our communities safe.

DATE: Friday, May 2, 2025

TIME: 12 PM – 1 PM

WHERE: Zoom (register here)

If you have questions or would like to provide feedback on any legislative or state-related issue, please contact our district office at repotten@pahouse.net.

UPCOMING EVENTS

Free Paper-Only Shred Event & Food Drive

Join Team Otten and the Chester County Food Bank for a FREE Paper-Only Shred Event & Food Drive!

Bring your confidential documents to be securely destroyed and safely recycled! Each car will be limited to 4 file-size boxes. Small paper clips and staples are OK, but please no binder clips, binders, cardboard, X-ray films, or photographs. Please plan to take your boxes and bins home with you.

The shredding event & food drive will take place in the parking lot of Lionville Middle School, 550 W Uwchlan Ave, Exton on Saturday, May 3 beginning at 1 PM. This event is first come, first served. When the truck is full, the shredding event will end. However, food donations will be accepted until 3 PM (check the food bank’s website for additional hours).

The food drive will benefit the Chester County Food Bank in their mission of fighting food insecurity and building support for our neighbors in need.

Most-needed food items include canned protein (chicken & tuna), canned fruit (light syrup if possible), canned soups, and canned vegetables.

If you have any questions, please contact my district office at 484-200-8259 or email repotten@pahouse.net.

Free Septa Senior Key Card Event

Did you know that seniors ride free on SEPTA with a Senior Fare Card?

To help seniors 65 and older get their initial fare card or renew an expired card, the offices of State Representative Danielle Friel Otten and Senator Carolyn Comitta have partnered for a Free SEPTA Senior Key Card Event at Downingtown Borough Hall on May 15.

The process to sign-up or renew your fare card is simple, fast, & free! All you need to apply is a form of ID that verifies age, such as a driver's license, state ID, social security statement, passport, etc.

Can’t make it to this event? No problem! Both Rep. Otten’s District Office in Exton and Sen. Comitta’s District Office in West Chester can process applications during normal business hours.

If you have any questions, please contact Rep. Otten’s office at 484-200-8259 or Sen. Comitta’s office at 610-692-2112.

Legislative Town Hall

With budget season ramping up in Harrisburg, it is a priority of mine to ensure the needs of our district are recognized in this year’s budget, and I want to hear what issues matter most to you at my next Town Hall.?

An active and engaged constituency is essential to a government that works for all people, and your input and involvement help to ensure that the interests of central Chester County are well represented. My upcoming town hall is an excellent opportunity to get updates on state legislative issues and ask questions about issues that matter to you. I hope to see you there!?

Attendees are encouraged to submit their questions in advance to ensure we have enough time to address everyone. Please submit your questions/comments/concerns to repotten@pahouse.net with the subject line “TOWN HALL TOPIC” by Friday, May 23.?

When: Thursday, May 29? | 7:00 PM – 8:30 PM?

Where: Witmer Conference Center at the East Brandywine Fire Company, 2096?Bondsville Road, Downingtown, PA 19335?

2025 Property Tax/Rent Rebate Application Period NOW OPEN

The 2025 Property Tax/Rent Rebate Application Period is now open and accepting application for rebates on property taxes or rent paid in 2024.

Thanks to changes we made in 2023, more people are eligible, with income limits adjusted to keep pace with Social Security cost-of-living adjustments. The Property Tax/Rent Rebate program has made it easier for seniors in Chester County to stay in their homes and afford groceries, medicine, and so much more.

The Property Tax/Rent Rebate Program benefits eligible Pennsylvanians ages 65 and older, widows and widowers ages 50 and older, and people with disabilities age 18 and older.

Please call or stop by my office to find out if you’re eligible and get assistance applying for your rebate. We’d be glad to answer any questions and set up an appointment to help you complete your application online!

For those who prefer to file by mail, paper applications will be available in my office soon, and we will update here when they come in.

SEPTA Senior Key Cards and Card Renewals

If you have a SEPTA Senior Key Card that has expired or will expire within the next month, we can renew it in our district office. To renew your card before it expires, please stop by my district office, or call us to make an appointment.

My office can also process applications and take photos for new SEPTA Senior Key ID Cards, which allow seniors 65 and older to travel for free on all SEPTA Regional Rail and transit routes within Pennsylvania. Just stop by my district office and bring a form of ID with your date of birth on it, such as a PA driver’s license or non-driver ID, U.S. passport, or birth certificate. We’ll enter your information into SEPTA’s online system, take a quick photo, and then SEPTA will mail your new card to you directly.

2-1-1 Southeastern Pennsylvania: Health and Human Services

211 SEPA is part of the national 211 Call Centers initiative that seeks to provide health and human services for everyday needs and those in crisis situations.

2-1-1 works with county governments and provider agencies to ensure important local program information is easily accessible.

Visit 211sepa.org for more information.

Mental Health Resources: Call 9-8-8

Chester County residents experiencing mental-health-related crisis or distress can dial 9-8-8 to reach the Suicide and Crisis Lifeline.?This system is designed to be a memorable and quick number that connects people in crisis to a trained mental health professional.

Chester County offers additional resources for those in crisis, including Chester County’s warm line, 1-866-846-2722, operated by Certified Peer Specialists, who are individuals in recovery with a lived experience of mental health challenges.

Chester County’s Teen Talk Line ensures seamless referral to Mobile Crisis for youth in need of immediate or higher-level support. The call line is 855-852-TEEN (8336), and the text line is 484-362-9515.

Visit the?Department of Human Services website for more information about the 988 system and other state and local mental health resources.

If you or someone you love is in crisis, please don’t give up hope, and please know that you do not need to walk this path alone. We are here and we will do whatever we can to help.

My staff and I are here to help make state government work better for you! For assistance with the above programs or any other state-related services, please email repotten@pahouse.net, call 484-200-8259, or visit my district office in Exton.

Please don’t hesitate to call, email, or contact us through my website and let us know how we can help!

Sincerely,