Ohio State University is not commenting on a lawsuit filed by a retired professor for allegedly withholding details of a 1.1 billion deal with a French energy company. The lawsuit asks the Ohio Supreme Court to order Ohio State to make public an agreement spelling out terms of the proposed deal with Ohio State Energy Partners, an entity that includes two Paris-based firms. Bruce Weide alleges OSU wanted to keep the agreement under wraps until it was approved last Friday, so that opponents could not object. A student group backed by a union that represents some OSU energy workers has protested the deal that could convert union-represented university jobs into outside-contractor positions. Under the deal, Ohio State will receive an upfront payment of 1.1 billion dollars from Paris-based ENGIE and Axium Infrastructure, which together form Ohio State Energy Partners. In return, Ohio State will pay the group 55 million a year to operate its energy assets, which include the McCracken Power Plant. In addition, the partners will pay 150 million in three phases for direct spending on university priorities.
Retired OSU Professor Sues School Over Privatization Deal With Foreign Energy Firms
