Tenaska Solar Ventures, an arm of Nebraska-based Tenaska Energy, expanded its California solar portfolio earlier this week when it bought the planned 160-megawatt Silverleaf project in the Imperial Valley.

The company already has two utility-scale projects in the valley, said Tenaska vice president of development Steve Johnson. The other two solar photovoltaic projects include Tenaska Imperial Solar Energy South with 130 megawatts under construction and to begin operations in the second half of 2013. The other is Tenaska Solar Energy West, which is 150 megawatts in the late stages of the development process.

The new Silverleaf utility-scale solar project is in the early stages of development. Tenaska bought it from Agile Solar Holdings, which will help with development through construction. But Tenaska will be responsible for getting its own power purchase agreement for the project, which is expected to cover 1,100 acres in El Centro, Calif.

Tenaska is a major energy investor with more than 9,000 megawatts of electricity generation capacity nationally, but solar is a newer venture for the company.

“Tenaska’s business interest in solar energy began in approximately 2008, when new tax laws that promote solar went into effect,” Johnson said.

The three California projects are the company’s only solar holdings so far. But Tenaska is actively looking to grow its solar portfolio and could pursue holdings outside of California.

“The ability to obtain long-term contracts for the sale of the electricity from solar projects to creditworthy electric utilities and an ability to utilize solar tax credits make the business case attractive to Tenaska,” Johnson said. “Tenaska Solar Ventures was created to bring quality utility-scale solar projects to completion anywhere in the United States.”

In the meantime, the California projects make up the company’s entire solar portfolio. It just worked out that way, Johnson said. Once the company started investing in the Imperial Valley, more opportunity presented itself there.

“Tenaska has quickly become a part of the Imperial Valley community with two projects (there),” he said. “Therefore, it welcomed the opportunity to develop the Tenaska Silverleaf project. It will help electric utilities meet the requirements of California’s Renewables Portfolio Standard.”