Thune: Wind tax credit phaseout plan helps backers

"It helps us defend it in the near term and hopefully convince people that this is an industry that understands that this isn't going to be around forever. Having something in law that actually does that is enormously important," Thune said.

He cautioned, however, that the six-year timetable proposed by the American Wind Energy Association on Wednesday might prove problematic. "The longer it is, the harder it becomes," he said. Thune said he understood that House lawmakers might want a five-year phaseout.