CenterPoint Energy - 1792 Exchange

Rating Overview

CenterPoint Energy is Medium Risk.

CenterPoint 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. The company 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	High Risk
Employment Protection	High Risk

Corporate Weaponization ⓘ

Corporate Governance and Public Policy Risk Levels
Criteria	Risk Level
Advocacy Bias	High Risk
Funding	High 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:

CenterPoint Energy received a score of 30 on the 2025 Corporate Equality Index (CEI) from the Human Rights Campaign (HRC), a political stakeholder group. The company recruits employees based on sexual identity issues. The company discriminates against vendors that do not promote divisive sex and gender policies, indicating it prioritizes sexual issues over merit (1)(2). The company integrates ESG into its business practices. From its 2023 Corporate Sustainability Report: “CenterPoint Energy seeks to integrate our sustainability practices, progress and performance into our company strategy,
enterprise risk management program and stakeholder engagement. A percentage of certain executive compensation is tied to ESG performance, such as diversity, equity and inclusion initiatives” (3). However, CetnerPoint Energy 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:

High

Rationale:

CenterPoint Energy’s HRC 2025 CEI rating indicates the company will not donate to non-religious charities unless they embrace controversial sexual identity policies (1)(2). The company’s charitable giving guidelines require that organizations abide by its nondiscrimination policy, including on the basis of sexual orientation and gender identity, thereby excluding some religious charities (3). CenterPoint Energy likely uses Benevity as its charitable giving platform. Benevity vets charities according to the Southern Poverty Law Center’s Hate List, which includes mainstream libertarian, conservative, family, and religious advocacy organizations (4)(5)(6).

Criteria:

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

Risk Level:

High

Rationale:

CenterPoint Energy appears to prioritize diversity over merit in its recruitment, hiring, and leadership composition. From its 2023 Corporate Sustainability Report: “We are working to increase workforce diversity and retention by: Advancing efforts for attracting and retaining diverse students through outreach to Historically Black Colleges and Universities and Hispanic Serving Institutions” and “We are increasing leadership diversity by: Leveraging diverse interview panels for candidate interviews to represent our workforce diversity when we interview prospective new hires for opportunities across our company” (1). The company operates a supplier diversity program. “Diversity at CenterPoint Energy has three elements: workplace diversity and inclusion, supplier diversity and community relations” and “CenterPoint Energy is committed to developing strong working relationships with diverse suppliers by actively seeking qualified diverse suppliers, encouraging major suppliers of CenterPoint Energy to support supplier diversity and seeking opportunities to develop the competitiveness of diverse suppliers through instruction, mentoring and capacity building” (2). CenterPoint Energy is an affirmative action employer. “As such, CenterPoint Energy is committed to equal employment opportunity, and it is the company’s policy to take affirmative action to employ and advance in employment minorities, females, protected veterans and individuals with disabilities” (3). The company does not provide viewpoint protections for its employees (4).

Corporate Governance and Public Policy

Criteria:

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

Risk Level:

High

Rationale:

CenterPoint Energy is committed to net zero emissions by 2035 (1). The company supports DEI within its business practices. From its Ethics and Compliance Code: “We promote diversity and inclusion and strive to maintain a culture where all employees are free from discrimination” (2). CenterPoint Energy supports ESG within its business practices. From its 2023 Corporate Sustainability Report: “The company’s ESG Council, led by our Vice President of Environmental and Corporate Sustainability, and our Vice President,
Investor Relations and Treasurer, includes officers and other members of management who identify, evaluate and recommend
strategic direction and opportunities that promote ESG objectives aligned with the company’s strategy and goals” (3). The company supports LGBTQ Pride in its business practices, using its social media to celebrate Pride Month (4).

Criteria:

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

Risk Level:

High

Rationale:

CenterPoint Energy donated $200,000 to the United Negro College Fund (UNCF) (1)(2). CenterPoint Energy is a corporate partner of the National LGBT Chamber of Commerce (NGLCC) (3). In 2023, the company donated $250,000 to the National Urban League (4). In 2023, CenterPoint Energy donated $60,000 to YWCA branches (5). In 2021, the company donated $52,500 to YWCA branches (6). The company’s LGBTQ ERG, CNP Pride, participated in Pride events around the country, and the company’s Houston building was lit up in LGBTQ Pride colors (7)(8)(9).