3 Energy Stocks With Big Dividends to Buy Now

Midstream energy is quietly having a moment. Natural gas volumes tied to LNG exports, data center power demand, and Permian growth are lifting throughput across the biggest US pipelines, and the three names below are turning that traffic into some of the most reliable checks in the income market. All three trade in positive territory year to date, all three raised their payouts in 2026, and all three back their distributions with fee-based cash flow rather than commodity swings (for readers thinking about how far a dividend book like this actually goes, we sketched a full plan for turning $250K into $1,500 a month in a free report here). Here is how the September income lineup stacks up.

Enterprise Products Partners (EPD)

Enterprise Products Partners (NYSE:EPD | EPD Price Prediction) is the anchor position in most midstream income portfolios, and Q2 explains why. The MLP (which issues a K-1 rather than a 1099) reported record adjusted EBITDA of $2.8 billion, a 17% increase over the second quarter of last year, alongside adjusted cash flow from operations of $2.5 billion. Operational DCF hit $2.3 billion with 1.9x distribution coverage, giving management more than enough room to keep raising the payout.

The board declared a 56 cent per unit distribution for Q2 2026, a 2.8% increase over the same quarter in 2025, putting the annualized distribution at $2.24 against a recent price of $39.14. Units are up 27.72% year to date and 31.54% over one year. Volumes tell the growth story: 14.7 million barrels a day of oil equivalent moved across the system, with total pipeline volumes up 8% and marine terminals up 33% year over year.

CEO Jim Teague put it simply: "Enterprise reported strong volumes, earnings, and cash flow for the second quarter." With the LPG export terminal expansion on the Houston Ship Channel expected in service by the end of this year and two new 300 MMcf/d Permian processing plants sanctioned, EBITDA growth into 2027 looks well spoken for.

Risk: the K-1 tax form is a headache for some investors, and $33.5 billion in debt principal means rate sensitivity is real. Next earnings report lands October 29, 2026.

MPLX for Best-in-Class Distribution Growth

If EPD is the ballast, MPLX (NYSE:MPLX), also an MLP that issues a K-1, is the growth engine. The Marathon-affiliated partnership has raised its quarterly distribution to $1.0765, annualizing at $4.306 against a recent price of $59.32. CEO Maryann Mannen was explicit on the Q2 call: "We anticipate growing our distribution at this rate again in 2026 and in 2027." That is 12.5% annual distribution growth, easily the highest in the peer group.

The distribution is backed by $1.8 billion of adjusted EBITDA in Q2 and a targeted 1.3x coverage ratio for both 2026 and 2027. MPLX is investing over 90% of its organic growth capital in natural gas and NGL infrastructure, and raised its 2026 capex outlook by $500 million to $2.9 billion to pull the Gulf Coast fractionation project forward. Marcellus processing utilization ran at 96%, and gathering volumes rose 15% year-over-year. Units are up 17.7% year to date.

Risk: Q2 EPS of $1.06 came in a hair light of consensus, and heavy dependence on parent MPC is a structural concentration. Next earnings report is November 3, 2026.

Kinder Morgan (KMI) for C-Corp Simplicity and a Gas Backlog

Kinder Morgan (NYSE:KMI) is the choice for investors who prefer a 1099 over a K-1. The C-corp structure and investment-grade balance sheet make it the cleanest way to own the natural gas theme.

Q2 delivered a big beat: adjusted EPS of 37 cents, up 32% from the prior year, on adjusted EBITDA up 12%. Management raised 2026 guidance to at least 5% above the original EBITDA budget and at least 12% above the original adjusted EPS budget. The board declared a 29.75 cent quarterly dividend, $1.19 annualized and a 2% increase over 2025, against a recent price of $32.02. Shares are up 19.83% year to date.

The forward story is the $9.6 billion project backlog, roughly 92% natural gas and heavily tied to power generation, LDC demand, and LNG exports. Management is developing projects to serve more than 10 BCF a day of natural gas demand from power generation and approximately 3 BCF a day from LNG, exactly the demand vectors the EIA is flagging as fastest-growing. Leverage ended Q2 at 3.6 times, well below the 4.0 times target. Rich Kinder said KMI can fund the backlog "almost completely with our internally generated cash flow while still continuing to pay a solid and growing dividend."

Risk: dividend growth of 2% is well behind MPLX and modestly behind EPD, so the appeal is stability and C-corp tax treatment rather than payout acceleration. Permitting and CO2 segment volatility are the operational overhangs.

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