Sept. 18, 2008 - Google and General Electric have joined forces to lobby Washington on policies that support alternative energy technologies.

The lobbying effort will include "development of specific policy proposals, alliance building, advocacy, information programs, and public relations," the companies said in a joint statement.

Both Google and GE have sunk a considerable amount of money into developing such technologies for commercial use. GE's $20 billion Ecomagination program, aimed at developing new environmental products and services, is fast turning into one of its biggest moneymakers. Google has also invested hundreds of millions of dollars into its RE<C program to research and develop new renewable energy sources that produce electricity more cheaply than coal.

"[The federal government] does have a role to play in energy ... as a catalyst for change," according GE chief executive, Jeffrey Immelt.

GE execs have been spending a lot of time lobbying for green technologies on Capitol Hill. Vice chairman John Rice recently attended congressional panel meeting, voicing his company's support for the market pricing of carbon emissions and government tax credits to encourage new investments in emerging low-carbon technologies.