TNGY vs. TPZ: Two Oil and Gas ETFs, Two Paths to Income & Adaptability

 

Get exposure to U.S. oil, natural gas, infrastructure, and power — with two differentiated ETFs from Tortoise Capital.

  • Tortoise Energy Fund (TNGY): Seeks current income through equity dividends, energy-related credit, and an active covered call overlay, with tactical allocation across the U.S. energy value chain
  • Tortoise Essential Energy Fund (TPZ): Targets U.S. energy infrastructure and utilities, with income-enhancing strategies like covered calls
  • Both Funds: Issue a 1099 (not a K-1), offer income potential, and trade daily on major platforms
Single Shell Animation

 

 

 

Discover Two Distinct Natural Gas ETFs— TNGY & TPZ

If you're researching a natural gas ETF, evaluating oil sector ETFs, or seeking income from a more tactical approach to the energy value chain, Tortoise offers two complementary ETFs that go beyond the index.


Tortoise Energy Fund

TNGY: Natural Gas & Oil Exposure Across the Full Value Chain

TNGY is an actively managed ETF offering diversified access to natural gas producers, natural gas liquids (NGL) processors, liquified natural gas (LNG) exporters, pipeline operators, and utilities. In contrast to passive oil sector ETFs, TNGY combines equity and credit exposure with an active covered call overlay, seeking current income across the full fossil fuel value chain.

Its dynamic allocation and tax-efficient ETF structure make it a differentiated choice among oil and gas ETFs.

  1. Invests across upstream, midstream, and downstream segments
  2. Captures U.S. LNG, propane, and fossil fuel export trends
  3. A differentiated option among oil and gas ETFs for income-focused investors
  4. No K-1, 1099 issued
  5. Ideal for investors seeking a gas ETF or a flexible alternative to the SPDR S&P Oil & Gas Exploration & Production ETF
  1. Invests across upstream, midstream, and downstream segments
  2. Seeks to capture U.S. LNG, propane, and fossil fuel export trends
  3. A differentiated option among oil and gas ETFs for income-focused investors
  4. No K-1, 1099 issued
  5. May be ideal for investors seeking a gas ETF or a flexible alternative to the SPDR S&P Oil & Gas Exploration & Production ETF

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: Income From Energy Infrastructure & Electrification

TPZ focuses on midstream operators, utilities, and power infrastructure, with an emphasis on generating consistent income.

The fund also employs a covered call overlay, offering the potential for enhanced yield even in volatile market environments.

  1. Equity-heavy exposure to MLPs, pipelines, and utility leaders
  2. Positioned to benefit from electrification and AI-powered demand surges
  3. Designed for investors seeking a high-income oil and energy ETF
  4. No K-1, tax-efficient structure
  5. A compelling solution for those comparing oil industry ETFs or seeking an active complement to traditional oil sector ETFs
  1. Equity-heavy exposure to MLPs, pipelines, and utility leaders
  2. Positioned to benefit from electrification and AI-powered demand surges
  3. Designed for investors seeking a high-income oil and energy ETF
  4. No K-1, tax-efficient structure
  5. A compelling solution for those comparing oil industry ETFs or seeking an active complement to traditional oil sector ETFs

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

Compare TNGY & TPZ Side by Side

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 stable income opportunities from infrastructure Investors seeking diversified energy exposure with higher income potential

FAQs: Understanding TPZ & TNGY

How are TNGY and TPZ different from traditional oil and gas ETFs?

Most passive oil and gas ETFs track indexes made up of upstream producers, which tend to be volatile and heavily exposed to commodity prices.

TNGY and TPZ take a broader, actively managed approach, offering exposure across the entire energy value chain, including natural gas infrastructure, midstream assets, utilities, and power providers. This allows both funds to pursue more consistent income and risk-adjusted returns, rather than just ride oil price momentum.

What role does natural gas play in these strategies?

Natural gas is central to both funds. TNGY includes significant exposure to natural gas producers, LNG export infrastructure, and downstream distributors, making it a compelling alternative to a traditional natural gas ETF.

TPZ targets the infrastructure powering electrification, including natural gas pipelines and utilities, helping investors benefit from long-term demand growth tied to data centers and industrial power needs.

Can these ETFs help generate income in volatile energy markets?

Yes. Both funds are designed with income-first thinking.

TPZ employs a covered call strategy on select holdings to enhance yield opportunities and reduce downside risk.

TNGY incorporates both equities and fixed income (up to 50%) to help smooth volatility and preserve distributions — a feature rarely found in other oil or gas ETFs.

Are these funds tax-efficient?

Absolutely. Unlike some oil and gas ETFs that issue K-1s or carry structural tax drag, both TPZ and TNGY are ETFs that issue a 1099, not a K-1.

Their ETF structures also allow for in-kind redemptions, minimizing taxable capital gains — a key advantage for advisors and taxable investors.

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.

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: XOP.

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.

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.

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