Dividend stocks can be fantastic investments. They generate passive income for their investors that tends to grow over time. On top of that, many grow their earnings at a solid clip, which helps drive healthy stock price appreciation. Those two drivers can enable Dividend stocks to produce strong total returns.

Black Hills (NYSE: BKH), Brookfield Renewable (NYSE: BEPC)(NYSE: BEP), and Brookfield Infrastructure Partners (NYSE: BIP)(NYSE: BIPC) stand out to a few Fool.com contributors as great dividend stocks. Here's why they think dividend-focused investors will love this income-producing trio.

Reuben Gregg Brewer (Black Hills Corporation): If you compare Black Hills Corporation to utility giants such as NextEra Energy and Southern Company, it comes off looking like a pipsqueak, given its tiny $3.6 billion market cap. Just like Yoda from Star Wars, however, you shouldn't judge this utility by its size alone. Unlike those two industry giants, and other large peers such as Duke Energy and AEP, Black Hills reigns supreme on the dividend front given its status as a Dividend King.

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Source Fool.com