Sunrise Solar, an alternative energy consulting firm based in San Antonio, Texas, announced the opening of a new office in China this week. The Beijing office is the company's first permanent international presence, and it will serve clients in other Asian countries in addition to China.

According to Sunrise Solar Chairman and CEO Eddie Austin, “We are pursuing an international strategy that we believe will allow us to continue to grow regardless of short-term economic issues in the United States.”

With its growing population and accelerated industrialization, China is in constant need of more electricity. And its energy policies are not always climate-friendly. According to a 2006 New York Times article, a new coal-fired power plant big enough to support a large city opens somewhere in China every week to ten days.

Yet China is also a major manufacturer of solar power cells. Another firm, China Sunergy, held a foundation-laying ceremony for its Shanghai research, development and production base last week. The company plans to build a 400-Megawatt plant on 150 acres it purchased last year.