A Smarter Way to Invest in Oil and Gas ETFs—TPZ

An Alternative to Oil Gas ETFs: Invest in Energy Infrastructure for Growth & Stability

Traditional oil and gas ETFs often focus on the volatility of natural gas producer ETFs and fossil fuels ETFs tied to commodity prices. The Tortoise Essential Energy Fund (TPZ) provides a differentiated approach by investing in oil and energy ETFs with a focus on: 

  • Midstream Infrastructure
  • Power Generation
  • Utilities

Book a call with our experts and explore how TPZ offers income stability and long-term growth potential.

 

 

 

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Why TPZ Stands Out from Traditional Oil & Gas ETFs

  1. A Unique Alternative to Oil & Gas ETFs – Unlike other US natural gas ETFs, TPZ prioritizes midstream energy and infrastructure, which generate revenue regardless of oil price swings.
  2. Designed for Income Stability – While many oil gas ETFs focus on price appreciation, TPZ invests in dividend-paying infrastructure companies and fixed-income securities to help RIAs generate consistent income for their clients.
  3. Diversified Energy Exposure – TPZ provides exposure to a mix of natural gas exchange traded funds and fossil fuels ETFs through infrastructure investments rather than volatile Exploration & Production stocks.
  4. Essential Energy Assets – The global economy relies on pipelines, storage, and energy transport, making TPZ’s holdings a critical part of the energy supply chain, unlike pure exploration-based oil and gas ETFs.

There is no guarantee the fund will pay distributions in the future and distributions, if any, may be less than the current distribution.

Not Ready for a Call? Download our ETF Comparison 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

How TPZ Compares to Traditional Oil & Gas ETFs


Feature Tortoise Essential Energy Fund (TPZ) Traditional Oil & Gas ETFs 
Investment Focus Midstream energy, infrastructure, & utilities Upstream oil & gas producers
Income Potential Dividend & fixed-income securities Stock price appreciation
Risk Profile Lower volatility, stable cash flows High volatility, commodity price-dependent
Top Holdings*

MPLX, Enterprise Products, ONEOK

ConocoPhillips, EOG Resources

 

*Holdings are subject to change. Click here for the fund's top 10 holdings.


FAQs: Understanding TPZ

How is TPZ different from other oil & gas ETFs?

TPZ differs from traditional oil & gas ETFs by focusing on midstream infrastructure, utilities, and power generation rather than volatile exploration & production (E&P) stocks.

Unlike typical oil gas ETFs, which are highly tied to commodity prices, TPZ prioritizes income generation through dividend-paying energy infrastructure stocks and fixed-income securities, offering lower volatility and more stable cash flows.

What kind of income does TPZ generate?

TPZ is designed for monthly income distributions, which sets it apart from ETFs that only distribute quarterly or semi-annually

Is TPZ an active or passive ETF?

TPZ is actively managed, meaning its allocation can shift between equities, bonds, and MLPs to capture upside and hedge risk.

Why should RIAs consider TPZ for client portfolios?

TPZ offers a balanced approach to energy investing, combining income potential, risk management, and diversification across the energy sector.

Ready to Take the Next Step? Invest in Green Energy.

Energy ETFs are evolving—make sure your portfolio is positioned for what’s next.

Tortoise Capital provides institutional-quality investment solutions designed to capture the structural growth in energy infrastructure. Book your call today!

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

$9.6B

$9.6 billion in assets under management (as of 3/31/2025)

<20%

Less than 20% average portfolio turnover

17+

17+ years average investment team tenure (as of 3/31/25)

Important Disclosures

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.

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 Fund’s strategy 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.

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

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.

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

Quasar Distributors, LLC, distributor

NOT FDIC INSURED · NO BANK GUARANTEE · MAY LOSE VALUE

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