With the results of the presidential and congressional elections resolved, now is the time to focus on how to move the country’s energy security forward with the same balance of power: Democratic control of the White House and Senate (without a supermajority), with a GOP majority in the House of Representatives. The much-lamented partisan gridlock which prevailed over the last two years could easily continue, but now is the time to look toward the future and remain optimistic on where room exists for compromise and forward momentum. Here are a few of the upcoming debates we can expect to see in the coming weeks and months: Keystone:  A new proposal with a revised path for the Keystone XL pipeline through Nebraska is up for approval in Q1 2013. Many speculators anticipate that President Obama will approve the new cross-border pathway, including Canadian Prime Minister Stephen Harper and American Petroleum Institute CEO Jack Gerard. Gerard has stated that API sees Obama’s decision on the pipeline as a “bellwether” for his second term, and they remain optimistic about both that specific decision and energy production in general. Gerard told The Hill on Thursday, “We believe energy was a big winner in this campaign cycle.” Ethanol: Bloomberg reports that the current mandate for ethanol production—established by the Bush administration in 2007’s Energy Independence and Security Act—is going to be one of the first post-election energy security challenges. Ethanol currently comprises over 9 percent of gasoline nationwide, and its production consumes approximately one third of U.S. corn supplies. Following the summer’s severe drought and this year’s subsequent corn shortage, many lawmakers and advocacy groups have called for temporary or permanent suspension of the mandate to prevent the shortage from driving up both food and gasoline prices. The Obama Administration has until the November 13^th deadline imposed when Arkansas Governor Mike Beebe filed the waiver request. Wind Energy: The wind energy tax credit is also up for scrutiny in the near term. The tax credit, which has helped support the growth of the domestic wind industry, expires at the end of the year. Supporters argue that the tax credit means jobs and green energy, while detractors argue the credit has existed for long enough and the domestic wind industry no longer needs government support. Long a bipartisan issue, conservatives are increasingly divided on the value of the program. Natural Gas Policy: Finally, while no specific deadline is coming down the pike, we will undoubtedly see continued discussion of the growing importance of natural gas in our energy economy, including the debate over liquefied natural gas (LNG) exports as well as regulation of hydraulic fracturing. Both are critical issues which present challenges and opportunities for reducing our oil dependence and boosting our economy. We look forward to watching these conversations unfold.