TNGY vs. TPZ: Two Energy ETFs, Two Paths to Income & Infrastructure Exposure

 

  • Tortoise Energy Fund (TNGY): Seeks income through equity dividends, energy credit, and covered call writing, with flexibility across the full U.S. energy value chain
  • Tortoise Essential Energy Fund (TPZ): Targets energy infrastructure and electrification trends with enhanced income opportunities from covered calls
  • Both Funds: 1099 tax reporting (no K-1), daily liquidity, and active strategies backed by decades of sector expertise
Single Shell Animation

 

 

 

Discover Two Distinct Energy Sector ETFs — TNGY & TPZ.

If you’re seeking income from the energy sector, or exploring high yield energy ETFs with active management, Tortoise offers two U.S. Energy ETFs:


Tortoise Energy Fund

TNGY: A Midstream Energy ETF With Full Value Chain Exposure

TNGY provides diversified access to the entire U.S. energy ecosystem—spanning producers, midstream assets, power infrastructure, and utilities.

It’s designed for income-seeking investors who want a flexible approach to energy, with allocations across equities, energy-related credit, and an active covered call overlay that seeks to enhance yield opportunities and manage volatility.

  1. Exposure across energy commodities, midstream, downstream, and utilities
  2. Tactical flexibility with up to 50% allocation in fixed income
  3. A focus on natural gas, LNG, and export infrastructure
  4. High, stable income and total return potential
  5. No K-1 (1099 issued)
  1. Exposure across energy commodities, midstream, downstream, and utilities
  2. Tactical flexibility with up to 50% allocation in fixed income
  3. A focus on natural gas, liquified natural gas (LNG), and export infrastructure
  4. Current income and total return potential
  5. No K-1 (1099 issued)

Rediscovering Energy: Assessing the Sector's Structural Evolution

Gain insights into the sector’s shift toward capital discipline, improved cash flows, and the evolving role of energy infrastructure and natural gas in powering global growth.

Tortoise Essential Energy Fund

TPZ: Powering the Energy Infrastructure Buildout

TPZ targets the energy infrastructure fueling the electrification of industry, AI-driven demand, and power grid modernization. 

The strategy incorporates flexible allocation and covered calls to help navigate market cycles and generate high income opportunities.

  1. Equity-heavy exposure to utilities, pipeline operators, and power infrastructure
  2. A focus on high-quality energy companies with stable cash flows
  3. A covered call strategy to enhance income and manage volatility
  4. Monthly distributions
  5. Tax-efficient ETF structure (1099)
  1. Equity-heavy exposure to utilities, pipeline operators, and power infrastructure
  2. A focus on high-quality energy companies with stable cash flows
  3. A covered call strategy to enhance income opportunities and manage volatility
  4. Monthly distributions
  5. Tax-efficient ETF structure (1099)

Energy Evolved: What Sets TPZ Apart in a Changing Investment Landscape

Explore how TPZ’s actively managed, income-focused strategy targets electrification, utilities, and natural gas infrastructure, helping investors pursue consistent income and growth without the tax complexity of traditional energy ETFs.

Not Ready for a Call? Download our Energy Sector ETF guide

How TPZ Compares to Other Energy ETFs: A Performance Breakdown

Discover how TPZ compares to other energy ETFs in our latest report.

Download our exclusive eBook to explore:

  • TPZ’s historical performance vs. other energy ETFs
  • How TPZ balances income, growth, and risk management
  • Key differentiators that set TPZ apart from passive energy funds
Download your eBook here

Which High-Yield Energy ETF Fits Your Portfolio?

Category TPZ – Tortoise Essential Energy Fund TNGY – Tortoise Energy Fund
Focus Energy infrastructure (midstream & utilities) Full U.S. energy value chain (upstream to utilities)
Strategy Type Income-focused with covered calls Flexible allocation across equity, credit, and covered calls
Typical Holdings Pipelines, utilities, midstream companies Producers, midstream, utilities, and energy bonds
*Income Sources Equity dividends + covered call premiums Equity dividends, energy credit, and covered call premiums
Investment Approach Infrastructure-focused, stable income Tactical, multi-asset income generation
Electrification Exposure Yes – via utilities & power infrastructure Yes – across grid, utilities, and diversified exposure
Tax Treatment 1099 (no K-1) 1099 (no K-1)
Fund Structure Actively managed ETF Actively managed ETF
Who It’s For Investors seeking current income from infrastructure Investors seeking diversified energy exposure with higher income potential

FAQs: Understanding TPZ & TNGY, ETFs for the Energy Sector

What’s the main difference between TNGY and TPZ?

TNGY offers exposure to the entire U.S. energy value chain, from producers and pipelines to utilities and export infrastructure, with the flexibility to shift between equities and fixed income based on market conditions.

TNGY launched as an ETF in June 2025, but it continues the same investment strategy used in the Tortoise Energy Infrastructure & Income Fund (INFIX), which has a long-term performance history. The ETF structure allows for more tax efficiency and broader accessibility.

TPZ, on the other hand, focuses more narrowly on energy infrastructure, including utilities and pipeline operators, and employs a covered call strategy to enhance income and manage volatility.

Both are actively managed and built to deliver income and growth potential, but they approach the energy sector from different angles.

Are TNGY and TPZ tax-efficient investments?

Yes. Both TNGY and TPZ are structured as '40 Act ETFs that issue a 1099, not a K-1. That makes them easy to own in taxable accounts and avoids the tax complexity associated with some traditional MLP or C-corp energy ETFs like AMLP. 

Investors must consult their tax advisor or legal counsel for advice and information concerning their particular situation. Neither the Funds nor any of its representatives may give legal or tax advice.

Which fund is better for income in volatile markets?

Both funds are income-focused, but they take different approaches. TNGY uses a mix of high-yielding equities and bonds, allowing it to dial up or down risk based on the market environment. TPZ uses covered call strategies on top of an equity-heavy infrastructure portfolio to enhance yield and reduce downside volatility. Advisors seeking more macro-driven flexibility may prefer TNGY, while those looking for steady equity-based income may lean toward TPZ.

Can I use both TNGY and TPZ in the same portfolio?

Absolutely. TNGY and TPZ are complementary. Holding both provides exposure across the full energy sector — from export terminals and natural gas logistics (TNGY) to power grids and utilities (TPZ) — while diversifying income strategies. This pairing helps advisors create a more balanced energy allocation that adapts to evolving market and macroeconomic conditions.

About Tortoise Capital

For over two decades, Tortoise Capital has specialized in energy infrastructure investments, providing innovative ETF solutions designed to capture long-term structural growth trends.

2002

Founded in 2002

$9.1B

$9.1 billion in assets under management (as of 6/30/2025)

<20%

Less than 20% average portfolio turnover

19+

19+ years average Senior Portfolio Manager tenure (as of 6/30/25)

Important Disclosures

Tortoise Capital Advisors, LLC is the advisor to the Tortoise Energy Fund and Tortoise Essential Energy Fund.

Before investing in the funds, investors should consider their investment goals, time horizons and risk tolerance. The funds’ investment objective, risks, charges and expenses must be considered carefully before investing. The statutory prospectuses and the summary prospectuses (click here) contain this and other important information about the funds. Copies of the funds’ prospectus may be obtained by calling 855-994-4437 or by emailing info@tortoiseadvisors.com. Read it carefully before investing.

Additional Comparison Considerations:

Investment objectives and strategies will vary greatly among individual ETFs. Before making an investment decision, it’s important to check the fund’s prospectus or offering memorandum for factors such as investment objectives, costs and expenses, liquidity, fluctuation of principal or return, and tax features. All investments contain risk and may lose value. References to comparison funds are for illustrative purposes only and are not intended as recommendations to buy or sell any securities. To obtain a prospectus containing important fund information for the products referenced, please view/download a prospectus here: AMLP.

Shares of exchange-traded funds (ETFs) are not individually redeemable and owners of the shares may acquire those shares from the ETF and tender those shares for redemption to the ETF in Creation Units only, see the ETF prospectus for additional information regarding Creation Units. Investors may purchase or sell ETF shares throughout the day through any brokerage account, which will result in typical brokerage commissions.

Investing involves risk. Principal loss is possible. The fund is registered as a non-diversified, open-end management investment company under the 1940 Act. Accordingly, there are no regulatory limits under the 1940 Act on the number or size of securities that we hold, and we may invest more assets in fewer issuers compared to a diversified fund. An investment in MLP securities involves some risks that differ from the risks involved in an investment in the common stock of a corporation, including risks relating to the ownership structure of MLPs, the risk that MLPs might lose their partnership status for tax purposes and the risk that MLPs will not make distributions to holders (including us) at anticipated levels or with the expected tax character.

The funds’ strategies of concentrating its assets in the power and energy infrastructure industries means that the performance of the Fund will be closely tied to the performance of these particular market sectors.

We may invest a portion of our assets in fixed income securities rated “investment grade” by nationally recognized statistical rating organizations (“NRSROs”) or judged by our investment adviser, Tortoise Capital Advisors, L.L.C. (the “Adviser”), to be of comparable credit quality. Non-investment grade securities are rated Ba1 or lower by Moody’s, BB+ or lower by S&P or BB or lower by Fitch or, if unrated, are determined by our Adviser to be of comparable credit quality. Investments in the securities of non-U.S. issuers may involve risks not ordinarily associated with investments in securities and instruments of U.S. issuers, including different accounting, auditing and financial standards, less government supervision and regulation, additional tax withholding and taxes, difficulty enforcing rights in foreign countries, less publicly available information, difficulty effecting transactions, higher expenses, and exchange rate risk.

Restricted securities (including Rule 144A securities) are less liquid than freely tradable securities because of statutory and contractual restrictions on resale. This lack of liquidity creates special risks for us. Rule 144A provides an exemption from the registration requirements of the Securities Act of 1933 (the “1933 Act”), for the resale of certain restricted securities to qualified institutional buyers, such as the Fund. We cannot guarantee that our covered call option strategy will be effective. There are several risks associated with transactions in options on securities. For example, the significant differences between the securities and options markets could result in an imperfect correlation between these markets. Certain securities may trade less frequently than those of larger companies that have larger market capitalizations.

TPZ:
Risks include, but are not limited to, risks associated with companies owning and/or operating energy pipelines, as well as master limited partnerships (MLPs), MLP affiliates, capital markets, terrorism, natural disasters, climate change, operating, regulatory, environmental, supply and demand, and price volatility risks. The tax benefits received by an investor investing in the fund differ from that of a direct investment in an MLP by an investor. The value of the fund’s investment in an MLP will depend largely on the MLP’s treatment as a partnership for U.S. federal income tax purposes. If the MLP is deemed to be a corporation then its income would be subject to federal taxation, reducing the amount of cash available for distribution to the fund which could result in a reduction of the fund’s value. Investments in non-U.S. companies (including Canadian issuers) involve risk not ordinarily associated with investments in securities and instruments of U.S. issuers, including risks related to political, social and economic developments abroad, differences between U.S. and foreign regulatory and accounting requirements, tax risk and market practices, as well as fluctuations in foreign currencies. The fund invests in small and mid-cap companies, which involve additional risks such as limited liquidity and greater volatility than larger companies. Shares may trade at prices different than net asset value per share.

TNGY:

Risks include, but are not limited to, risks associated with companies owning and/or operating energy pipelines, as well as master limited partnerships (MLPs), MLP affiliates, capital markets, terrorism, natural disasters, climate change, operating, regulatory, environmental, supply and demand, and price volatility risks. The tax benefits received by an investor investing in the fund differ from that of a direct investment in an MLP by an investor. The value of the fund’s investment in an MLP will depend largely on the MLP’s treatment as a partnership for U.S. federal income tax purposes. If the MLP is deemed to be a corporation then its income would be subject to federal taxation, reducing the amount of cash available for distribution to the fund which could result in a reduction of the fund’s value. Investments in non-U.S. companies (including Canadian issuers) involve risk not ordinarily associated with investments in securities and instruments of U.S. issuers, including risks related to political, social and economic developments abroad, differences between U.S. and foreign regulatory and accounting requirements, tax risk and market practices, as well as fluctuations in foreign currencies. The fund invests in small and mid-cap companies, which involve additional risks such as limited liquidity and greater volatility than larger companies. Shares may trade at prices different than net asset value per share.

Diversification does not assure a profit or protect against a loss in a declining market.

*The Funds expect to pay out dividends based on the distributable cash flow which generally represents dividends and distributions from equity investments, interest from debt securities and net premiums from options, less expenses. To the extent distributions exceed net investment income, they will be classified as return of capital and Fund shareholders would experience a reduction in the basis of their shares, which may increase the capital gain or reduce capital loss realized upon the sale of such shares. There is no guarantee that the Funds can or will pay distributions.

Nothing on this website should be considered a solicitation to buy or an offer to sell any shares of the portfolio in any jurisdiction where the offer or solicitation would be unlawful under the securities laws of such jurisdiction. Nothing contained in this communication constitutes tax, legal or investment advice. Investors must consult their tax advisor or legal counsel for advice and information concerning their particular situation.

Quasar Distributors, LLC, distributor

NOT FDIC INSURED · NO BANK GUARANTEE · MAY LOSE VALUE

Tortoise-Capital_logo_white