President

Luke Somers, Apex Clean Energy

Luke Somers currently serves as the Senior Policy Analyst for Apex Clean Energy, a renewable energy company focused on utility-scale solar, wind, storage, distributed energy resources, and green fuels. He's primarily worked on community solar/DER policy but has recently transitioned to cover state affairs in the PJM region. Before joining Apex in 2022, Luke studied Politics and Philosophy at the University of Virginia in Charlottesville, Virginia, where he earned his BA. He joined the USSEC's Board of Directors in mid-2024.

Treasurer

Pat Tully, Savion Energy

Pat Tully is the Senior Director of Legislative and Regulatory Affairs at Savion, LLC. Since 2022, he has played a key role in advancing Savion’s portfolio — which includes solar, energy storage, and co-located solar and energy storage facilities — while also serving as a USSEC board member.

With almost 20 years of public policy experience, Tully previously worked as a Senior Policy Advisor at the Ohio House of Representatives. Before that, he served as a Policy Advisor at the Public Utilities Commission of Ohio, a Congressional Legislative Aide in Washington, DC, and a Legislative Aide in the Ohio House of Representatives. Tully is a graduate of The Ohio State University and resides in Powell, Ohio.

Mike Rinebold assumed the role of Regulatory Affairs Manager on August 28, 2023 for Geenex, LLC and will guide one of the leading organizations in the nation aimed at advancing greenfield utility-scale solar projects delivering clean, reliable energy to the grid with operations in multiple states including Ohio, Indiana, and Kentucky.

Rinebold joins Geenex following more than two-decades of service in the public sector advocating for a variety of organizations and clientele at the local, state and federal levels of government. During the last 4 years Rinebold has represented multiple clients involved in economic development, issue advocacy and political campaign management. Prior to creating his own consulting firm, he guided a statewide, long-term health care association aimed at advancing the well-being of the aging population in the state of Indiana and played a leading role in government affairs and grassroots advocacy efforts on behalf of the highly diverse membership associations. Prior to becoming the President/CEO of LeadingAge Indiana he served in a leadership role with the Indiana State Medical Association as the Director of Government Relations and chief advocate where he represented the interests of the ISMA’s 8000+ physician membership both at the state and federal level.

Secretary

Michael Rinebold, Greenex Solar

Executive Director

Will Hinman, Executive Director, Utility Scale Energy Coalition of Ohio

Will Hinman has extensive experience in Ohio government and politics. He served as Director of the Speaker’s Office for Speaker Bob Cupp from 2020 through 2022. He then founded Forrest Hinman Capitol Consulting, LLC, which he continues to operate. Previously, Hinman worked in Governor Mike DeWine’s administration, where he was responsible for advancing the Governor’s transportation policy as Legislative Liaison at the Ohio Department of Transportation. Before serving the DeWine Administration, Hinman was the top aide to Chairman Cupp, who chaired the Public Utilities Committee in the Ohio House of Representatives. Throughout his career, he has also worked on several campaigns in various capacities, in Washington, DC in the office of Congressman Steve Stivers and at the NFIB, and for State Rep. Marlene Anielski. Will is a graduate of The Ohio State University.

During the last biennial budget process in Ohio, Hinman served as Interim Executive Director of USSEC. Under Hinman’s leadership, USSEC helped secure major victories for the utility-scale solar industry in the budget, including a four-year extension of the Payment in Lieu of Taxes (PILOT) program.