First Trust Energy Income and Growth Fund
                                10 Westport Road
                                  Suite C101a
                           Wilton, Connecticut 06897


                                 June 14, 2017


Securities and Exchange Commission
100 F Street, N.E.
Washington, DC 20549


      Re:         First Trust Energy Income and Growth Fund
                (Registration Nos. 333-217580 and 811-21549)


Ladies and Gentlemen:

      The undersigned, First Trust Energy Income and Growth Fund, Registrant,
pursuant to the provisions of Rule 461 of the General Rules and Conditions of
the Securities and Exchange Commission under the Securities Act of 1933, as
amended, hereby respectfully requests that the Commission grant acceleration of
the effectiveness of Pre-Effective Amendment No. 1 to the Registrant's
Registration Statement on Form N-2, filed on June 13, 2017, so that the same may
become effective at 12:00 p.m., Eastern Time on June 15, 2017, or as soon
thereafter as practicable.

       The Registrant hereby acknowledges that:

          o  should the Commission or the staff, acting pursuant to delegated
             authority, declare the filing effective, it does not foreclose
             the Commission from taking any action with respect to the filing;

          o  the action of the Commission or the staff, acting pursuant to
             delegated authority, in declaring the filing effective, does not
             relieve the Registrant from its full responsibility for the
             adequacy and accuracy of the disclosure in the filings; and

          o  the Registrant may not assert this action as a defense in any
             proceeding initiated by the Commission or any person under the
             federal securities laws of the United States.


                                Very truly yours,

                                First Trust Energy Income and Growth Fund


                                By: /s/ W. Scott Jardine
                                    ----------------------------------------
                                        W. Scott Jardine, Secretary