Roger S. Conrad

Dominion Resources (NYSE: D) is marching forward after receiving approval for it's Cove Point, Maryland facility, and making plans to spin off that and other assets in a new master limited partnership.

Despite what you may have heard, MLPs still offer outstanding opportunities for savvy investors.

The People's Climate March near New York City's Central Park, and other demonstrations around the country remind us that energy companies must navigate environmental politics skillfully in order to thrive. Upcoming elections will bring many issues up for debate and make keeping an eye on politics and policy matters critical.

From REITs to former income trusts, Canada is still a dividend wonderland for income-seeking investors.

Our top turnaround play for 2014 continues to reward our faith.

Short sellers’ woes have handed us an opportunity to take a 54 percent gain in Consolidated Communications (NSDQ: CNSL), which we added to the Aggressive Income Portfolio in July 2013.

Utility investors shouldn't lose any sleep over Scotland's push for independence.

By the end of 2016, energy companies will lock in the lion’s share of an estimated $600 billion in contracts for new infrastructure to process and transport surging US oil and gas production to market.   This construction boom creates an unprecedented opportunity for well positioned energy companies such as Dominion Resources (NYSE: D), which recently proposed a 550-mile pipeline to carry cheap shale gas to energy-hungry North Carolina and Virginia. (See Five Big Deals to Build Wealth.)   The pipeline project has stoked the usual opposition from environmentalists and concerned citizens who, by reflect, don’t want any energy-related infrastructure in their backyards.   Ironically, utilities have answered environmentalists’ call for more renewable energy, increasing wind generation from 6 billion to 168 billion kilowatt-hours between 2000 and 2013 and solar-power capacity by 70 percent since 2013. That’s a clear demonstration of how the best US utilities have walked both sides of the street in the debate over fossil fuels and renewable energy. As long as these companies earn a fair return on investment, they’ll continue to reward us with rising earnings and dividends.

West Texas Intermediate crude oil has slipped to $93 a barrel, its lowest price in two years, and producers in North Dakota’s prolific Bakken Shale part with their output for less than $88 a barrel. But not even $70 oil would derail growth for our favorite bet on the Bakken Shale.

Historically, propane distributors’ profits have been challenged by unpredictable weather, volatile wholesale prices, competition from natural gas and an extremely dispersed customer base. In the past, these obstacles translated into erratic returns for shareholders. The industry’s solution: Increased scale through consolidation. Propane distributors—mostly master limited partnerships (MLP)—continue to consolidate, expanding their geographic reach and improving their purchasing power. These efforts have resulted in steadier sales and boosted margins.