Jul 29 - McClatchy-Tribune Regional News - Jay Fitzgerald Boston Herald



Sen. Scott Brown may soon find himself in the increasingly familiar position of holding the key to a major piece of legislation in Washington, D.C.

The Massachusetts Republican is playing a major behind-the-scenes role in promoting a multibillion-dollar energy-efficiency program that could be a huge boon for some Massachusetts firms, including Westboro-based Conservation Services Group.

Environmentalists and energy groups say Brown has expressed strong support for national expansion of energy-efficiency measures contained in a new bill unveiled yesterday by Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid, a Nevada Democrat who earlier this week unveiled a scaled-back energy bill now that a more comprehensive climate-change package has been shelved.

"He is focused on the impact on Massachusetts and jobs," Seth Kaplan, an attorney with the Boston-based Conservation Law Foundation, said of Brown.

 Though environmentalists have often clashed with Brown on issues, there's "some common ground" on other energy-related matters, Kaplan said.

Steve Cowell, chief executive of Conservation Services, said passage of a $5 billion energy-efficiency program would benefit Bay State firms and homeowners who qualified for the new conservation program.

"It's a huge deal if we get the bill through," said Cowell, whose nonprofit organization runs energy-efficiency programs in 27 states. CSG handles conservation programs for National Grid and Nstar in Massachusetts.

But a sticking point for Brown, who has crossed the aisle on a number of issues to reach a compromise, could be other provisions within Reid's package, including increasing taxes on oil to pay for the energy-efficiency program and an oil-spill cleanup fund.

A Brown spokesman yesterday would only say the senator is reviewing Reid's legislation.

jfitz@bostonherald.com

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