Three Energy Plays Worth Holding Long-Term With Your Investment Capital

The global energy landscape is experiencing a fundamental reset. U.S. electricity demand is projected to grow at 2.5% annually through 2034—five times the pace of the previous decade—driven by AI data centers, manufacturing reshoring, and electrification. This explosive demand is reshaping energy infrastructure into a strategic asset class, creating substantial opportunities for investors willing to hold quality positions.

Why Energy Infrastructure Matters Now

As countries transition from coal toward cleaner, more reliable fuel sources, the infrastructure that moves and processes energy becomes increasingly valuable. Unlike commodity plays that fluctuate wildly with prices, companies controlling durable assets—pipelines, processing plants, uranium mines, and nuclear technology—benefit from predictable, volume-based economics. For investors deploying $3,000, three companies stand out as generational holds.

The Infrastructure Backbone: Enterprise Products Partners

Enterprise Products Partners (NYSE: EPD) operates over 50,000 miles of pipelines alongside storage facilities and export terminals moving oil and natural gas across North America. Structured as a master limited partnership (MLP), the company functions as a pass-through entity returning most cash flows directly to investors—currently yielding 6.8%.

What makes EPD compelling is its fee-based revenue model. Rather than betting on commodity prices, the company earns steady income regardless of whether oil trades at $80 or $120 per barrel. The business simply charges for volume transported. With $5.1 billion in capital projects underway, including new export terminals and processing plants, EPD is positioned to capture growth as global energy demand accelerates. For income-focused portfolios, the combination of steady distributions and capital appreciation offers compelling risk-adjusted returns.

Natural Gas Investing Through Production and Demand Growth

EQT (NYSE: EQT) specializes in natural gas exploration, production, and transportation—positioning itself directly in the growth path as utilities, power plants, and industrial customers embrace this cleaner-burning fuel. The tailwind here is structural: data center operators are increasingly deploying gas turbines to meet surging power demands, because turbines can be operational within months rather than years.

Beyond U.S. markets, Europe and Asia are actively replacing aging coal infrastructure with natural gas systems, reducing dependence on unreliable providers. As the world’s largest natural gas exporter with expanding liquefied natural gas (LNG) capacity, the U.S. is capturing this global transition. EQT, with integrated production and midstream assets, sits squarely in this value chain. The company benefits from both rising consumption and premium pricing for reliable supply.

Nuclear Exposure: Cameco’s Dual Edge

Cameco (NYSE: CCJ) operates high-grade uranium mines across Canada, Kazakhstan, and Australia while holding a 49% stake in Westinghouse Electric—the nuclear reactor manufacturer. This dual positioning is critical. As global governments commit to nuclear expansion to meet baseload power demands, Cameco captures value at multiple points: uranium processing, reactor manufacturing oversight, and long-term aftermarket services.

In October 2024, Westinghouse secured an $80 billion U.S. government contract to build reactor capacity nationwide. Cameco’s integrated position—from fuel supply through reactor deployment—creates optionality rarely found in single-asset energy plays. As nuclear infrastructure becomes essential to grid reliability, this exposure offers decades-long growth visibility.

The Holding Period Advantage

Each company represents not a trade, but a portfolio position built for the next decade. Energy infrastructure commands premium valuations precisely because demand is visible, growing, and long-dated. Whether through pipeline volume growth, natural gas consuming markets, or nuclear buildout, these three companies own assets the global economy requires.

For investors with $3,000 and a multi-year horizon, this trinity of energy exposure—midstream infrastructure, production/delivery, and nuclear technology—provides both income and capital appreciation potential in an era when energy reliability directly impacts economic productivity.