Richard Owens
focus areas
- Policy development
- Regulatory support and advocacy
- Regulatory strategy
- Stakeholder engagement and forum facilitation
- Project management and governance
- Development and drafting of regulatory instruments
education
- Bachelor of Laws (Hons), University of Canterbury, New Zealand
- Master of Laws, University of Leuven, Belgium
- Executive Leadership Program, University of California, Berkeley
- Graduate Member, Australian Institute of Company Directors
- Fellow, Australian Institute of Energy
Richard has over 25 years’ experience as a regulator, policy maker and adviser to regulated businesses. He brings unique experience and insights from having led the development and application of utility regulation and policy at senior levels across a range of regulated industries including electricity, gas, telecommunications, water and ports.
He is also Senior Commissioner of the Independent Competition and Regulatory Commission of the ACT and Associate Commissioner of the Utilities Commission of the Northern Territory. In these part-time roles, he is responsible for economic regulation, competition, licensing and enforcement issues for various industries including electricity, water and ports.
Richard joined farrierswier in early 2020 from the Australian Energy Market Commission (AEMC), where he was Executive General Manager and led the AEMC’s work on electricity and gas networks.
Richard held a range of senior roles at the AEMC since 2011 and was instrumental in major reforms across all parts of the electricity and gas sectors. Richard’s other previous roles include leading an independent expert review into electricity transmission planning for the NSW Minister for Energy, a member of the secretariat for the Finkel review into the National Electricity Market, and a member of AEMO’s Consumer Panel for the Integrated System Plan.
Richard started his career as a lawyer, working for 12 years in leading law firms and government in Australia and New Zealand, specialising in energy and telecommunications regulation and competition and consumer law. Since 2013, Richard has been a regular guest lecturer in energy and environmental law at the University of Sydney Law School.
Richard has extensive experience advising governments, regulators and businesses on regulatory and policy issues across a wide range of industries, including electricity, gas, telecommunications, water, ports and airports. His expertise includes policy development, regulatory advice, stakeholder engagement, facilitating workshops and forums, and drafting regulatory instruments.
For a full curriculum vitae, please contact Richard via email.