GE To Mull 'A Bunch Of Different Ideas' For Alstom Report

General Electric's GE $16.9 billion bid for Alstom SA energy business could be subject to alteration, as the US giant seeks to consummate its biggest deal ever.

GE is prepared to consider "a bunch of different ideas" to satisfy French regulators, Vice Chairman John Rice told Bloomberg Thursday.

So far, GE hasn't changed its offer, although Chairman Jeffrey Imelt in a conversation with French President François Hollande, promised to create 1,000 French jobs Wednesday.

German-based Siemens AG is expected to make a rival bid by June that will propose swapping its rail operations for Alstom's energy business, thus creating a top French rail company and a leading German energy concern.

Imelt earlier this month proposed offering GE's signalling business to Alstom's rail unit.

GE traded recently at $26.69, up 0.11 percent.

GE's underlying goal in the deal is to boost its manufacturing business and reduce its reliance on its financial arm, GE Capital.