Richard Owens

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 20 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.

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. He was seconded as a key adviser to the Finkel review into the future security of the national electricity market in 2016-17.

Richard is also a part-time Associate Commissioner of the Utilities Commission of the Northern Territory, the Territory’s independent economic regulator for the electricity, water, sewerage and ports industries. He was a member of the Australian Energy Market Operator’s Consumer Panel for the Integrated System Plan (ISP), which is established under the National Electricity Rules to represent the interests of electricity consumers in the development of the ISP.

Since 2013, Richard has been a regular guest lecturer in energy and environmental law at the University of Sydney School of Law. He started his career as a lawyer in leading law firms in Australia and New Zealand, specialising in energy, telecommunications, port and rail regulation, competition and consumer law. He was also Principal Legal Adviser for the New Zealand Ministry of Economic Development from 2006 to 2007, where he led the Ministry’s legislative projects, including major reforms to energy and telecommunications regulation.

Richard has extensive experience advising governments, regulators and businesses on regulatory and policy issues across a wide range of industries, including electricity, natural gas, hydrogen, telecommunications, water, ports, rail, waste and recycling. His expertise includes policy development, regulatory advice, developing regulatory and advocacy strategies, facilitating workshops and forums, managing large multi-disciplinary projects and drafting regulatory instruments.

For a full curriculum vitae, please contact Richard via email.

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