Dividend stocks remain your best bet, particularly if you want this income to at least keep up with inflation. But some of the market's best dividend stocks come from a surprising industry... the energy sector. Despite all the wild ups and downs of oil (and natural gas) prices over the years, three energy stocks have never been forced to cut their dividend payments. What Chevron has done to handle these swings without jeopardizing its ability to sustain its dividends is as obvious as it is simple. It's a midstream name, delivering gas and oil through its 18,000 miles of liquid pipelines and nearly 19,000 miles of natural gas pipelines in Canada and the United States.