ConocoPhillips (COP), one of the largest oil and gas exploration and production companies in the world, recently announced that it will partner with NRG Energy and GE Capital to invest $300 million in a joint venture that will promote emerging energy technologies. ConocoPhillips has been a leader in development of new energy technologies with several of its activities focused on power generation and new technologies. Its main competitors are ExxonMobil (XOM), British Petroleum (BP), Anadarko Petroleum Corporation (APC) and Chevron Corporation (CVX).

We maintain a $68.44 price estimate for ConocoPhillips stock, which is roughly 10% below market price.

Andy Obermueller is the chief investment strategist of an intriguing new service that focuses on developing government legislation to find investment opportunities.

In his Government-Driven Investing the advisor looks at Praxair (NYSE: PX) as a play on clean coal technology, more-technically known as carbon capture and sequestration. Here, he explains the opportunity:

"U.S. Energy Secretary Steven Chu recently announced an $8.4 million project to ensure that the nation's innovators are up to speed on the latest carbon-capture and sequestration technology.

Right now coal is still king. Coal provides 50% of the electricity production for the U.S. while natural gas provides about 20% of that production.

Now, however, with an energy bill in Congress, the battle lines are being drawn between the coal and natural gas companies. Each side is marshaling an army of lobbyists to descend upon Congress. Each side will make pitches to Congress to gain favor for their companies.

Clean coal has hit speed bump on the path to the nation's cleaner energy future.

The United States Government has canceled support for a clean coal demonstration project after the project's development costs nearly doubled, to $1.8 billion, citing the need to limit taxpayer exposure, according to a New York Times report.

Further, more than a decade into the research process, it remains an unanswered question whether the clean coal technology -- capturing and injecting carbon dioxide back into the ground -- can be executed in a safe and cost-effective manner.

Among other hurdles, scientists need to determine which soil formations are most environmentally appropriate for holding and organically processing the carbon dioxide, and that don't contain the risk of dioxide bubbling back to the surface, or polluting ground water.