Energy is the driving force that powers the economy. And with data centers and AI pushing electricity demands higher, the sector is set for a stretch of immense growth. If you’re looking to profit off that surge, here are five energy stocks worth a $100 investment.
Image source: Getty Images.
Vistra(NYSE: VST) is one of the largest competitive power generators in the U.S. It provides electricity through a diversified fleet of generation assets — including coal, solar, natural gas, and nuclear — to around 5 million customers across 20 states.
For Vistra, the emphasis is on competitive. Unlike regulated utilities, which earn a set rate of return approved by regulators, Vistra sells electricity directly into competitive wholesale markets. This means it can benefit from market spikes and higher demand for electricity. On the flip side, it also means Vistra doesn’t have guaranteed revenue, which makes its earnings more volatile than traditional utilities stocks.
The growth thesis is simple: Because electricity is spiking in some of Vistra’s primary markets, including the Mid-Atlantic and Texas, driven in part by the rapid buildout of data centers, the company is in an enviable position to profit when prices for power move higher.
Enbridge(NYSE: ENB) is a powerhouse of North American energy infrastructure. Not only does it move about 30% of the crude oil produced in North America, but it also operates the longest oil and liquids pipeline in the world.
Fun fact: Enbridge’s pipeline network is long enough to circle the Earth more than once. But that’s not the only fun fact I’m referring to here.
Another is that the company has raised its dividend for 31 consecutive years. The 3% hike (in Canadian dollars) takes the quarterly dividend to CA$0.97 per share, or roughly CA$3.88 annually. This makes it ideal for dividend investors who are willing to trade explosive upside for steady dividend growth.
Oklo(NYSE: OKLO) is a high-growth nuclear start-up that’s designing microreactors. And not just any microreactor, but one with a “powerhouse” design that seems like the perfect fit for AI data centers.
Indeed, Sam Altman has been an early backer of Oklo and was once the board chair. Hype around the company’s potential has sent the stock soaring in 2025, with shares trading above $190 at one time, representing a monstrous 787% gain on the year.
Since about mid-October, however, the nuclear stock has come back down to Earth, though shares are still up more than 300% over the past year.
For interested investors, the big caveat right now is Oklo’s pre-commercial status. The company has big plans but no revenue to show for it. It doesn’t have an operating reactor, nor a license from the Nuclear Regulatory Commission to deploy its powerhouses at scale. And while it is working toward gaining that license, cash burn in the meantime will chip away at its roughly $1.2 billion liquidity.
As such, the company is a speculative play on the future of energy, not a core position by any means.
Canada-based Cameco (NYSE: CCJ) counts itself among the world’s largest uranium miners and refiners. Indeed, the company’s core assets — the McArthur River and Cigar Lake mines — contain some of the world’s highest-grade uranium deposits, with relatively low production costs associated with them.
While Cameco’s uranium expertise stretches back about 60 years, only in the last year has the stock really taken off. Part of that shift is a renewed push for nuclear to satisfy electricity demands from power-hungry AI.
The uranium market, to be sure, is notoriously cyclical, and Cameco is not immune to it. The company does, however, have an advantage: Some of its long-term contracts have a pricing floor built-in, which can protect it from downside. These same contracts typically have a price ceiling, too, which could limit its gains.
Bloom Energy(NYSE: BE) is designing advanced solid oxide fuel cells. These fuel cells can convert natural gas into electricity through an electrochemical process rather than combustion.
It’s an intriguing clean-energy solution, and the company already has some big-name buyers, including FedEx, Walmart, Target, Home Depot, and Oracle. The company has also posted record revenue in recent quarters and improved margins, which has helped it become profitable in 2025.
Each of these five stocks offers a way to capture surging electricity demand. For investors who would rather not hand-pick their stocks, a clean energy exchange-traded fund (ETF) is another option.
Before you buy stock in Oklo, consider this:
The Motley Fool Stock Advisor analyst team just identified what they believe are the 10 best stocks for investors to buy now… and Oklo wasn’t one of them. The 10 stocks that made the cut could produce monster returns in the coming years.
Consider when Netflix made this list on December 17, 2004… if you invested $1,000 at the time of our recommendation, you’d have $509,039!* Or when Nvidia made this list on April 15, 2005… if you invested $1,000 at the time of our recommendation, you’d have $1,109,506!*
Now, it’s worth noting Stock Advisor’s total average return is 972% — a market-crushing outperformance compared to 193% for the S&P 500. Don’t miss the latest top 10 list, available with Stock Advisor, and join an investing community built by individual investors for individual investors.
Steven Porrello has positions in Oklo. The Motley Fool has positions in and recommends Cameco, Enbridge, Home Depot, Oracle, Target, and Walmart. The Motley Fool recommends FedEx. The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy.
