EP 20 — Kensington Vanguard’s Tara Brown-Selders on Mineral Rights That Kill Solar Projects

The renewable energy boom is creating unprecedented complexity in commercial real estate transactions, and traditional title insurance approaches are proving inadequate for solar and wind developments. Tara Brown-Selders, VP of Business Development, Kensington Vanguard, has spent three years building KV's energy division by recognizing that these projects require fundamentally different risk assessment, research depth, and regulatory navigation than conventional commercial deals. Her unique background as an ecopreneur turned title insurance specialist provides insights into how property rights, state regulations, and due diligence processes are evolving to support America's energy transition.

Tara explains why renewable projects are more land-intensive with additional parties and longer timelines, requiring specialized understanding of mineral rights versus surface rights ownership. She also touches on the critical timing decisions developers face when engaging title companies, the research complexity that extends far beyond traditional ownership verification, and why some multi-million dollar projects require comprehensive title work without needing insurance policies. 

 

Topics discussed:

 

• The evolution from reactive insurance models to proactive risk assessment strategies that identify issues before they become deal-breakers in renewable energy projects.
• Advanced approaches to mineral rights research and surface rights verification that can significantly impact project costs and timelines.
• State-by-state regulatory navigation strategies using specialized regional expertise rather than attempting uniform national approaches.
• The strategic timing of title company engagement to avoid wasting resources on unviable land while preventing late-stage discovery of deal-breaking property issues.
• How ESG integration is reshaping due diligence processes by incorporating stakeholder alignment, community workforce development, and domestic content requirements into commercial real estate decisions.
• The emergence of flexible renewable energy solutions like battery storage and micro-grid developments that require smaller land footprints but more complex integration planning.
• Why some renewable energy projects require comprehensive title research without insurance policies while others demand full coverage, based on lender requirements and financing structures.
• Women leadership strategies in traditionally male-dominated industries through organizations like Women in Title and EcoWomen that emphasize collaboration over competition.
• The research complexity of renewable energy projects that extends beyond ownership verification to include mineral activity assessment, community readiness evaluation, and environmental impact analysis.