President
Renew Missouri
James Owen is the executive director of Renew Missouri, a 501(c)(3) that promotes and advocates for renewable energy and energy efficiency before the Missouri Public Service Commission, the Missouri legislature and local governments throughout the state.
By working on regulations and laws that affect energy policy and utility ratemaking, Renew Missouri is committed to making Missouri a leader on clean energy throughout the country.
Before he became executive director of Renew Missouri, Owen served as an associate circuit judge for Webster County, Missouri, where he handled criminal and civil dockets and helped the court to establish a mental health treatment court. He served as Missouri’s public counsel, a position charged with representing the public in all matters involving utility companies regulated by the state. Owen also worked for the Office of Administration to establish the Contract Oversight Office for the state. He is on the board of directors for the National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI) of Missouri. He is also a part-time municipal judge for the City of Columbia and writes a weekly film column for the "Columbia Daily-Tribune."
Owen earned his bachelor of arts in business and political science from Drury University and his law degree from the University of Kansas.