When Rep. Josh Riley went up in an electric cooperative bucket truck on a snowy, 8-degree January day in upstate New York, he came down to earth even more determined to champion federal funding for an indoor training center to educate future lineworkers.

“His ears were turning bright red in the cold and, as soon as he was on the ground, he told me: 'You guys really need that indoor center,'" recalls Delaware County Electric Cooperative CEO and General Manager John Gasstrom.

The freshman Democrat has been true to his word, Gasstrom says, requesting $2.5 million in Community Project Funding for the Delhi-based co-op to partner with the State University of New York-Delhi to build an Electric Technology Center that would include an indoor lineworker training yard. The federal money would pay for about 10% of the center, which will cost $20 million to $22 million.

“We need this center to make sure we're turning out skilled people," Gasstrom says. “Line work is getting more computerized and technologically sophisticated than it used to be."

Riley has been working hard to push his funding request through the congressional appropriations process, co-op leaders say. When it cleared its first hurdle, the congressman called Gasstrom to let him know.

“I thought that was very considerate of him," says Gasstrom, who is also general manager of the Northeast Association of Electric Cooperatives. “He also made sure I had his personal cell number to reach out to him at any time."

Riley, who has several electric co-ops in his district in the Hudson Valley/Southern Tier region of New York, has rapidly become someone co-ops can rely on for support, New York co-op leaders say.

“He's very responsive and engaging," says Tim Johnson, CEO of Hartwick-based Otsego Electric Cooperative. “He's made it clear he wants to help."

Last year, Riley was a co-lead on the bipartisan Middle Mile for Rural America Act. The legislation, supported by NRECA, would reauthorize and extend the federal Middle Mile Broadband Infrastructure program through 2031.

“This bill builds the essential infrastructure we need to get better broadband to every home, farm and business, ensuring no one is left behind," Riley said when the bill was introduced.

The 45-year-old congressman also is a co-sponsor of the Fixing Emergency Management for Americans (FEMA) Act, which would streamline the agency and dramatically speed up delivery of crucial disaster relief funds to co-ops.

Upstate New York co-ops have suffered widespread outages in recent years from severe storms bringing heavy snow, rain and floods.

Gasstrom reached out to Evan Maslin, Riley's district director, upon hearing Louis Finkel, NRECA senior vice president of Government Relations, call for co-sponsors for the FEMA Act. Riley signed on the next day. “That's how responsive Rep. Riley is," Gasstrom says.

The congressman says electric co-ops “are the backbone of rural Upstate New York."

“They don't answer to Wall Street or overseas corporations," Riley says. “They answer to the people they serve. When storms hit and the power goes out, co-op lineworkers are the ones out there in the middle of the night getting the lights back on.

“Around here, we know reliable power, broadband access and a strong workforce are essential if small towns are going to grow and compete. That's why I've worked closely with our local co-ops to support broadband expansion, strengthen rural infrastructure and help train the next generation of lineworkers right here in Upstate New York."

Riley proactively seeks out co-op leaders to learn more about the issues that affect members, says Janelle Linehan, project manager at DCEC. The congressman has invited her and Gasstrom to discuss co-op concerns over lunch in the district.

“He treats every person with sincere interest, kindness and concern for the problems he is passionate about addressing," Linehan says. “He is good natured, definitely has a sense of humor, and the word that most people use to describe him is 'approachable.'"

Riley's sense of humor was on display in January when he went up in a DCEC bucket truck as part of a visit to observe students learning to install crossarms on poles at SUNY-Delhi.

Jimmy Green, the co-op's advanced line technician and union steward, took Riley up in the bucket truck, using it as an opportunity to explain he didn't vote for him because of political differences.

“When they were back on the ground, the congressman jokingly thanked Jimmy for bringing him down rather than throwing him out of the bucket," Gasstrom says. “It was all in good fun and it shows how Rep. Riley is the kind of guy who can build rapport with anyone."