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6 Best-Performing Clean Energy ETFs for July 2026

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6 Best-Performing Clean Energy ETFs for July 2026
Want to invest in wind or solar energy? Clean energy ETFs make it easy.
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6 years of experience Expertise Investing for beginners financial advice long-term investingAlana Benson is an editor who joined NerdWallet in 2019. Historically she has covered a wide variety of investing topics including stocks, socially responsible investing, cryptocurrency, mutual funds, HSAs and financial advice. She is also a frequent contributor to NerdWallet's "Smart Money" podcast. Alana has appeared on FOX Houston and the "PennyWise" podcast and has been quoted in MarketWatch and The Sun. Before joining NerdWallet, she wrote two books on identity theft and several young adult nonfiction titles. Her work has been featured in The New York Times, The Washington Post, The Associated Press, MSN, Yahoo Finance and MarketWatch.
Alana Benson is an editor who joined NerdWallet in 2019. Historically she has covered a wide variety of investing topics including stocks, socially responsible investing, cryptocurrency, mutual funds, HSAs and financial advice. She is also a frequent contributor to NerdWallet's "Smart Money" podcast. Alana has appeared on FOX Houston and the "PennyWise" podcast and has been quoted in MarketWatch and The Sun. Before joining NerdWallet, she wrote two books on identity theft and several young adult nonfiction titles. Her work has been featured in The New York Times, The Washington Post, The Associated Press, MSN, Yahoo Finance and MarketWatch. Published in Editor & Content Strategist + more + moreCertified Financial Planner®
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19 years of experience Expertise Retirement planning investment management investment accountsArielle O’Shea leads the investing, advisory and taxes content teams at NerdWallet. She has covered personal finance and investing for 20 years, and was a senior writer and spokesperson at NerdWallet before becoming an editor. Previously, she was a researcher and reporter for leading personal finance journalist and author Jean Chatzky, a role that included developing financial education programs, interviewing subject matter experts and helping to produce television and radio segments. Arielle has appeared on the "Today" show, NBC News and ABC's "World News Tonight," and has been quoted in national publications including The New York Times, MarketWatch and Bloomberg News. She is based in Charlottesville, Virginia.
Arielle O’Shea leads the investing, advisory and taxes content teams at NerdWallet. She has covered personal finance and investing for 20 years, and was a senior writer and spokesperson at NerdWallet before becoming an editor. Previously, she was a researcher and reporter for leading personal finance journalist and author Jean Chatzky, a role that included developing financial education programs, interviewing subject matter experts and helping to produce television and radio segments. Arielle has appeared on the "Today" show, NBC News and ABC's "World News Tonight," and has been quoted in national publications including The New York Times, MarketWatch and Bloomberg News. She is based in Charlottesville, Virginia. Published in Head of Content, Investing & Taxes + more + moreThe clean energy market is relatively new, and there’s no way to know what companies will be the belles of the ball. But rather than try to predict which specific companies will prosper, you can invest in clean energy ETFs and gain wider exposure to the industry as a whole.
The clean energy market is relatively new, and there’s no way to know what companies will be the belles of the ball. But rather than try to predict which specific companies will prosper, you can invest in clean energy ETFs and gain wider exposure to the industry as a whole.What are clean energy ETFs?
What are clean energy ETFs?Clean energy ETFs are exchange-traded funds that invest in stocks in the alternative energy sector, which may include solar, wind, hydroelectric and geothermal companies. Like other types of funds, clean energy ETFs can easily diversify your portfolio. ETFs also tend to be less expensive than mutual funds.
Clean energy ETFs are exchange-traded funds that invest in stocks in the alternative energy sector, which may include solar, wind, hydroelectric and geothermal companies. Like other types of funds, clean energy ETFs can easily diversify your portfolio. ETFs also tend to be less expensive than mutual funds.Best-performing clean energy ETFs
Best-performing clean energy ETFsBelow is a list of the best-performing clean energy ETFs from the past year.
Below is a list of the best-performing clean energy ETFs from the past year.The best-performing clean energy ETF by one-year return is Global X Hydrogen ETF (HYDR), which is up 130.57%.
The best-performing clean energy ETF by one-year return is Global X Hydrogen ETF (HYDR), which is up 130.57%.
The best-performing clean energy ETF by one-year return is Global X Hydrogen ETF (HYDR), which is up 130.57%.Ticker
TickerCompany
CompanyPerformance (Year)
Performance (Year)HYDR
HYDRGlobal X Hydrogen ETF
Global X Hydrogen ETF130.57%
130.57%CTEX
CTEXProShares S&P Kensho Cleantech ETF
ProShares S&P Kensho Cleantech ETF113.27%
113.27%PBW
PBWInvesco WilderHill Clean Energy ETF
Invesco WilderHill Clean Energy ETF92.43%
92.43%CNRG
CNRGState Street SPDR S&P Kensho Clean Power ETF
State Street SPDR S&P Kensho Clean Power ETF85.47%
85.47%QCLN
QCLNFirst Trust Nasdaq Clean Edge Green Energy Index Fund
First Trust Nasdaq Clean Edge Green Energy Index Fund84.26%
84.26%CTEC
CTECGlobal X ClimateTech ETF
Global X ClimateTech ETF78.90%
78.90%Source: Finviz. Data is current as of July 1, 2026, and is intended for informational purposes only.
Source: Finviz. Data is current as of July 1, 2026, and is intended for informational purposes only.» Excited about clean energy ETFs? Here are the best online brokers for ETF investing
» Excited about clean energy ETFs? » Excited about clean energy ETFs? Here are the best online brokers for ETF investing Make sense of the markets with The Nerdy Investor A weekly wrap on what's moving markets, plus two monthly deep-dives on how to improve your investing, straight to your inbox. Subscribe for freeWhy invest in clean energy ETFs
Why invest in clean energy ETFsWith so many automakers committing to making electric vehicles, the long-awaited “green revolution” may have arrived.
With so many automakers committing to making electric vehicles, the long-awaited “green revolution” may have arrived.Clean energy ETFs offer access to energy companies without having to pick and choose stocks yourself. If you want, you can find clean energy ETFs that specialize in solar or wind, or just opt to invest more broadly across the alternative energy industry.
Clean energy ETFs offer access to energy companies without having to pick and choose stocks yourself. If you want, you can find clean energy ETFs that specialize in solar or wind, or just opt to invest more broadly across the alternative energy industry.And while many of these ETFs have five years' worth of data, renewable energy is still a relatively new field. Rather than purchasing single stocks in this field ETFs spread out your risk and help diversify your portfolio. That way, you're not relying on a single company.
And while many of these ETFs have five years' worth of data, renewable energy is still a relatively new field. Rather than purchasing single stocks in this field ETFs spread out your risk and help diversify your portfolio. That way, you're not relying on a single company.Want to go beyond ETFs? Explore the top-performing renewable energy stocks
Want to go beyond ETFs? Want to go beyond ETFs? Explore the top-performing renewable energy stocks Neither the author nor editor held positions in the aforementioned investments at the time of publication. Neither the author nor editor held positions in the aforementioned investments at the time of publication. Neither the author nor editor held positions in the aforementioned investments at the time of publication. About the author Alana Benson Alana Benson Alana Benson is an investing writer who covers socially responsible and ESG investing, financial advice and beginner investing topics. Her work has appeared in The New York Times, The Washington Post, MSN, Yahoo Finance, MarketWatch and others. See full bio.Helpful resources
Helpful resources Best Robo-Advisors for Automated Investing: Top Picks for 2026 14 Best-Performing and Affordable ESG ETFs for 2026 More like this Investing Best Robo-Advisors for Automated Investing: Top Picks for 2026 We spent hours testing robo-advisors to find ones that charge low fees but still offer high-quality features, including automated portfolio rebalancing, exposure to a range of asset classes and financial planning tools. 2 By Alana Benson, Sabrina Parys ESG for Beginners: Environmental, Social and Governance Investing ESG, or environmental, social and governance investing, is a way to build a more ethical portfolio. Alana Benson