Bloom Energy Corporation

Rating Overview

Bloom Energy Corporation is Medium Risk.

Bloom Energy is Medium Risk. The company often yields to political activism in shaping corporate governance, potentially alienating consumers, dividing employees, and harming shareholders. The company implements race and identity-based policies that replace merit, excellence, and integrity with preferential treatment and outcomes. Bloom Energy occasionally embraces corporate initiatives that redirect its central focus from business goals to partisan policies and divisive issues at times. This approach fails to safeguard free exercise, free speech, and free enterprise.

Rating Criteria

Corporate Weaponization Risk Levels
Criteria	Risk Level
Cancellations	Medium Risk
Discriminatory Philanthropy	Lower Risk
Employment Protection	High Risk

Corporate Weaponization ⓘ

Corporate Governance and Public Policy Risk Levels
Criteria	Risk Level
Advocacy Bias	High Risk
Funding	Lower Risk
Political Actions	Lower Risk

Corporate Governance and Public Policy ⓘ

Rating Criteria Detail

Criteria Risk Level Rationale

Corporate Weaponization

Criteria:

Has canceled customers, suppliers, or vendors due to their political views or religious beliefs OR corporately boycotts, divests, or sanctions regions, people groups, or industries.

Risk Level:

Medium

Rationale:

Bloom Energy integrates ESG into its business practices, tying ESG performance to executive compensation. From its 2024 Energy Impact Report, the company’s Compensation and Organizational Development Committee is “responsible for executive compensation and any pay metrics tied to ESG performance” (1). The company integrates ESG into its business practices. From its 2024 Energy Impact Report: “We continue the evolution of our Board oversight and management processes to more fully and formally incorporate ESG data and analysis into our strategy development, risk management, and operations” (2). The company promotes divisive sex and gender policies. Its Global Business Partner Standards requires international vendors to include sexual orientation and gender identity in their nondiscrimination policy (3). However, the company has not canceled customers, suppliers, or vendors based on political views or religious beliefs (4).

Criteria:

Charitable giving (including employee matching programs) policies or practices discriminate against charitable organizations based on views or religious beliefs.

Risk Level:

Lower

Rationale:

Bloom Energy does not appear to discriminate against charitable organizations based on views or beliefs (1)(2).

Criteria:

Employment policies fail to protect against viewpoint or other discrimination and/or are ideological in nature.

Risk Level:

High

Rationale:

Bloom Energy appears to prioritize diversity over merit in its leadership composition, recruitment and hiring. From an interview by HR Daily Advisor with the company’s Chief People Officer Sonja Wilkerson: “Wilkerson takes an active role in the hiring of senior leaders at Bloom, and she says the company places an explicit and genuine emphasis on diversity in hiring… Bloom also focuses on diversity at the other end of the pipeline, starting with promoting diversity among participants in its summer internship program, many of whom eventually get offers of employment” (1). The company does not provide viewpoint protections for its employees (2).

Corporate Governance and Public Policy

Criteria:

Uses corporate reputation to support causes, organizations, or policies hostile to freedom of expression.

Risk Level:

High

Rationale:

Bloom Energy is committed to net zero carbon emissions by 2050 (1). The company supports DEI within its business practices. From its 2024 Bloom Energy Impact Report: The company’s Compensation and Organizational Development Committee “Oversees all issues pertaining to human capital management, organizational development goals, and programs including leadership development, talent assessments, and diversity and inclusion initiatives and objectives” (2). The company supports ESG within its business practices. From its 2024 Bloom Energy Impact Report: “We are proud to present our annual Impact Report, which covers the progress we have made in advancing our environmental, social, and governance (ESG) initiatives during the 2024 calendar year” (3).

Criteria:

Uses corporate funds to advance ideological causes, organizations, or policies hostile to freedom of expression.

Risk Level:

Lower

Rationale:

Bloom Energy has not used corporate funds to advance ideological causes, organizations, or policies (1).

Criteria:

Uses corporate political actions and/or financial contributions for ideological, non-business purposes.

Risk Level:

Lower

Rationale:

Bloom Energy has not used its PAC donations or lobbying for ideological purposes (1)(2)(3).