The global economy has been steadily transitioning to renewable energy over the years. The pace has quickened in recent years, powered by falling costs and government incentives. Demand for renewables could further accelerate in the future, fueled by a surging need for power by technology companies for cloud computing and artificial intelligence (AI) applications.

These trends play right into the hands of leading renewable energy producers NextEra Energy (NYSE: NEE), Brookfield Renewable (NYSE: BEPC) (NYSE: BEP), and Clearway Energy (NYSE: CWEN)(NYSE: CWEN.A). It makes them great energy stocks to buy and hold for their long-term total return potential.

NextEra Energy has been a wealth-creating machine over the years. The leading U.S. utility has generated an 11.4% annualized total return over the last 15 years. That has outpaced other utilities (6.8% annualized total return) and the S 500 (10.5%).

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Source Fool.com