For example, if your goal is inflation protection, an integrated energy ETF might be the most efficient option. These ETFs offer all-in-one exposure to upstream, midstream, and downstream companies, giving you a balanced allocation across the full fossil fuel supply chain.If you’re looking for income, many investors turn to midstream and MLP ETFs. These often hold operators and energy infrastructure firms that generate stable cash flows and typically pay above-average yields.If your focus is on speculation, some investors prefer upstream ETFs that hold exploration and production companies. These tend to move more closely with oil and gas prices than diversified funds or oil futures, without the complexity of rolling contracts.And if you’re aiming to bet on where the industry is headed, you can go two ways: Either invest in downstream energy ETFs to capture future growth in services and refining capacity, or take a contrarian or forward-looking stance on renewables, where policy support and technological improvements are reshaping the sector.Once you’ve narrowed down your goals, compare funds not just by past returns, but by two key factors: risk and cost.On the risk side, look at a fund’s historical standard deviation (which measures annual volatility) and drawdowns (which show how far and for how long a fund has dropped from its peak before). These give a better sense of how the ETF behaves in both good and bad markets.On the cost side, pay attention to the , which tells you how much you’ll pay annually to own the fund. For example, a fund with a 0.10% expense ratio costs $10 a year on a $10,000 investment. A similar fund charging 0.40% would cost $40.That difference might not seem like much short-term, but over years of compounding, it adds up, especially in volatile sectors like energy., Here are seven of the best energy ETFs to buy for 2025: ETF: Expense ratio: Vanguard Energy ETF : 0.09%: Energy Select Sector SPDR Fund : 0.08%: Invesco S&P 500 Equal Weight Energy ETF :, The Invesco S&P 500 Equal Weight Energy ETF is one of the best energy ETFs to buy if you want to stick with U.S.-listed companies but don't want a portfolio dominated by Exxon Mobil and Chevron..