My office will be closed on Friday, April 3, in observance of Good Friday. We will reopen at 9:00 AM on Monday, April 6.

To all who are celebrating Passover, may this season of remembrance and renewal bring peace, strength, and hope for the days ahead.

But today we are standing at the edge of the largest wave of industrial water demand this state has ever seen, with regulations crafted for a different era.

In Part 1 of my 7-part series on water rights in PA, I look at how our water is (or should be) managed and protected & where we're falling short. We have spent generations treating our water supply as if it were infinite, building our laws, our industries & our expectations around that assumption.

Pennsylvania is one of the most water-rich states in the country, with an estimated 80 trillion gallons of water in underground aquifers and 2.5 trillion more gallons in our lakes, reservoirs, and 83,000 miles of streams and rivers. But that abundance does not mean security.

Pennsylvania Has 80 Trillion Gallons of Water. So Why Should You Be Worried? Your Water, Your Bill, Your Rights: Part 1 of 7

📢 Pennsylvania has 80 trillion gallons of water. So why should you be worried? 📢

Read my full post on Substack to find out why PA’s water future is more fragile than it appears and what we can do to protect this essential natural resource while also protecting families from rising water bills.

⚾ It’s Fightins Season! ⚾

Baseball is back, and our Phillies are kicking off the 2026 campaign against the Rangers. A new year brings fresh momentum, big expectations, & that unmistakable Philly energy that carries from Opening Day straight through fall.

Let’s get after it, Philly. #RingTheBell

Today, staff from our district office will be at the Downingtown Library for a mobile office. This is a great opportunity to learn about state services and to ask questions about issues that concern you.

Stop in to say hello and find out how we can help you! We look forward to meeting you!

Take a look at the schedule and sign up for the topics that matter most to you.

Explore the full list of upcoming webinars here:
🔗 buff.ly/4Xn0QOH

Looking to learn more about financial aid, FAFSA, or navigating the repayment process?

PHEAA offers a wide range of free, high‑quality webinars designed to help students, families, and professionals stay informed and confident as they make important financial decisions about higher education.

Read my full post on Substack to find out where the legislature went wrong prior to 2019 and how we can avoid repeating the same mistakes this time around.

Now, TMI is coming back online, rechristened the Crane Clean Energy Center. But it won't be serving PA families or restoring affordable baseload power to the public grid. Instead, under a 20-year exclusive contract, its entire output will be sold to Microsoft to power the company's data centers.

It was replaced almost entirely by fossil fuel generation, and the economic and environmental consequences were both immediate and lasting.

Three Mile Island Unit 1, licensed to operate until 2034, capable of powering 800,000 Pennsylvania homes around the clock, closed in September 2019. At the time of its closure, TMI alone produced more zero-carbon electricity than all of Pennsylvania's wind, solar, and hydropower combined.

The Marcellus Shale boom flooded the PJM regional grid with cheap fracked gas, driving down wholesale electricity prices so far that clean, reliable nuclear power could no longer compete in an uneven market.

And here in Pennsylvania, we have a cautionary tale that makes it even harder to defend. We know exactly what happens when we allow the oil and gas industry to set energy policy. We've been living with the costs.

There's a fossil fuel industry talking point making the rounds again: renewables are too expensive once you strip away the subsidies. It's a slick line, but it isn't supported by facts.

Pennsylvania paid the price for “cheap” gas. Now we're paying again. There’s a fossil fuel industry talking point making the rounds again: renewables are too expensive once you strip away the subsidies.

📢 Pennsylvania paid the price for “cheap” gas. Now we're paying again. 📢

As we push for leg. & regulatory reform to protect PA’s ratepayers, I want to talk about another piece of the energy cost puzzle that affects our wallets & environment & provides important context for where we find ourselves.

Spring has officially arrived! 💐

Here’s to longer days, warmer weather, and a fresh season of growth ahead. ☀️

Funeral service for Corporal Timothy J. O’Connor, Jr. YouTube video by Governor Shapiro

Our community comes together today to honor Corporal Timothy O’Connor. For those who wish to join in remembrance, the livestream of his funeral is available here.

TODAY from 11 AM - 1 PM, my office will be hosting a Mobile Office at the Coatesville YMCA. This is a great opportunity to learn about state services and to ask questions about issues that concern you.

We look forward to meeting you!

Lá Fhéile Pádraig Sona Daoibh 🍀 (Happy St. Patrick's Day to you!)

View my post on Substack for more about the trip’s unexpected discoveries and our meetings with Irish Parliament: buff.ly/GJvK3W7

I’ve been telling this story in bits and pieces since September. Today, St. Patrick’s Day, feels like the right day to recount the whole thing. Last fall I went to Ireland with the PA Irish American Caucus and the PA Ireland Trade Commission for the NFL International Series Steelers game in Dublin.

𝑳𝒂́ 𝑭𝒉𝒆́𝒊𝒍𝒆 𝑷𝒂́𝒅𝒓𝒂𝒊𝒈 𝑺𝒐𝒏𝒂 𝑫𝒂𝒐𝒊𝒃𝒉 🍀 (𝑯𝒂𝒑𝒑𝒚 𝑺𝒕. 𝑷𝒂𝒕𝒓𝒊𝒄𝒌'𝒔 𝑫𝒂𝒚 𝒕𝒐 𝒚𝒐𝒖!)

To everyone carrying a little Ireland with them today, may we all hold a bit of the Fightin' Irish in our souls 🍀

Pennsylvania’s perfect storm of electricity price increases We’ve talked a lot about how soaring demand for electricity, driven by data center development and speculation, is causing electric bills to skyrocket.

Pennsylvania families are facing rising electricity bills driven by a combination of global instability and decisions made much closer to home.

Read my full post on Substack for a deeper look at what is driving these rising costs and several steps we can take to protect consumers.

My deepest condolences are with Corporal O’Connor’s family, loved ones, and his fellow troopers who put their lives on the line every day to keep our communities safe. I am holding them all in my thoughts during this unimaginable time.

Pennsylvania State Police trooper shot, killed in West Caln Township, officials say Cpl. Timothy O'Connor was fatally shot after pulling over an erratic driver, officials said during a news conference early Monday morning.

Our community is heartbroken by the tragic loss of Pennsylvania State Police Corporal Timothy O’Connor, who was shot and killed during a traffic stop in West Caln Township. Corporal O’Connor dedicated his career to protecting the people of PA, and his service and sacrifice will never be forgotten.

Daylight saving time begins Sunday, March 8 at 2 AM.

Don't forget to move your clocks forward 1 hour! 🕑 ⏭️ 💐

It may be a little cold out, but it definitely did not stop this community from showing up for the Communities That Care of Greater Downingtown Snowball Shuffle this morning!

Team Otten is proud to be here supporting an amazing cause that strengthens youth mental health and wellness. ❄️🏃🏃‍♀️💙

Read my full post on Substack for several steps we can take to protect consumers, including stronger oversight of load forecasting, better transparency, and clear rules that require large users to pay for all the costs they create.