The start of each New Year provides an opportunity to look back at the year that was and speculate on the year that will be. The past few years, I have used this column as an opportunity to take a well-meaning, tongue-in-cheek look at the industry. I have tried to analyze the trends going on in the industry and also provide what I hope is a little bit of entertainment.

So, if you will indulge and read this with the spirit in which it was intended, I proudly present the 2010 In and Out List:

OUT IN
Food versus fuel 162.9 bushels of corn per acre
Stimulus package Jobs bill
Black liquor loophole VEETC extension
Net energy balance International indirect land use change
E85 stand-alone pumps Blender pumps
NEVC RFA market development team
Blended fuels Drop-in fuels
Corn stalks Algae
Chairman John Dingell Chairman Henry Waxman
Secretary Bodman Secretary Chu
DOE loan guarantees USDA loan guarantees
Methane digesters Gasifiers
Al Gore's "Our Choice" Consumer choice
10.5-billion-gallon ethanol mandate 12-billion-gallon ethanol mandate
Renewable fuel standard waivers Cellulose credits
Liquidation Consolidation
Airshed modeling Life-cycle analysis
UNICA Global Renewable Fuels Alliance
Ethanol imports Ethanol exports
$8 per bushel corn $4 per bushel corn
Ethanol use mandates Low carbon fuel standards
Social sciences Social media
EthanolRFA@aol.com @EthanolBob
EPIC BYOEthanol
Indy 500 NASCAR
RFA Daily Clips RFA Smartbrief