Duke Energy Renewables (DER) President Rob Caldwell is optimistic that Congress will allow the production tax credit (PTC) to expire under present terms, although he agrees the US wind industry is going through a “rough spot” as some Republican lawmakers push to scale back the subsidy.

“I’m hopeful at the end of the day that the deal will be preserved,” he tells Recharge, referring to a 2015 bipartisan agreement between majority Republicans and Democrats – now law – that set the PTC phase-out on a 100%-80%-60%-40% schedule in 2016-19 before expiration in 2020.