3 Top Energy Dividend Stocks to Buy Right Now

The world will need a lot more energy in the future. New technologies, population growth, and an expanding middle class are all fueling the need for more energy. While cleaner sources like renewables will likely supply much of this new capacity, fossil fuels will also continue playing a vital role in fueling the global economy.

There are many ways to capitalize on the growing need for energy. Brookfield Renewable (NYSE: BEP)(NYSE: BEPC), Kinder Morgan (NYSE: KMI), and Chevron (NYSE: CVX) stand out to a few Fool.com contributors as some of the best options. These energy stocks all pay growing dividends, which will enable investors to cash in on the growing need for energy.

Reuben Gregg Brewer (Brookfield Renewable): If you like dividends, you'll love Brookfield Renewable. It comes in two different flavors: a limited partnership with a 5.3% yield and a corporate share class with a 4.5% yield.

The two share classes represent the same exact entity, with the yield difference entirely driven by the popularity of that corporate structure. But what exactly do they represent?

Brookfield Renewable is run by Brookfield Asset Management and owns an actively managed portfolio of renewable power assets. That includes hydroelectric, solar, wind, and batteries. Basically, it gives you exposure to all of the important clean energy categories. Its portfolio is also spread across the globe, providing geographic diversification as well. It's kind of a one-stop shop for clean energy.

But the key is that Brookfield Renewable is actively managed. It likes to buy assets on the cheap, increase their value by investing in them, and then sell them when they are dear. The proceeds are put back into new investment opportunities.

This is not a typical energy investment, it is more like a clean energy hedge fund. But clean energy demand is growing rapidly, so there's a huge growth runway for Brookfield Renewable.

It's worth a deep dive for dividend investors who can think outside the typical energy box. Notably, the payout has been increased regularly for years at an attractive annualized clip of around 6% over that past 20 years.

Matt DiLallo (Kinder Morgan): Natural gas demand in this country is on track to grow briskly into the next decade. Analysts expect that by 2030, the demand will rise by 20 billion cubic feet per day (Bcf/d) from last year's level of 108 Bcf/d.

Driving this demand are things like natural gas exports (LNG and Mexico) and rising power and industrial demand. On top of that, artificial intelligence (AI) data centers could drive significant additional demand due to their massive energy needs. The base case is that they will add 3 Bcf/d to 6 Bcf/d of incremental demand by 2030, with 10-plus Bcf/d of upside potential.