I need Help Running COMET-VR:

If you are having difficulties with the COMET-VR Tool be sure you have the required WEB Browser.

COMET-VR requires a DOM compliant browser.  The following WEB browsers are supported:

• Netscape Version 4.7x +
• Internet Explorer Version 5.x+
• Safari Version 1.0 (Macintosh)+
• FireFox Version 1 + (Microsoft, Macintosh)

You also must have JAVASCRIPT enabled to use this tool.

I'm having trouble with the WEB Site:

If you are having difficulties with the COMET-VR Tool or this site, be sure you have the required WEB Browser.

COMET-VR requires a DOM compliant browser.  The following WEB browsers are supported:

• Netscape Version 4.7x +
• Internet Explorer Version 5.x+
• Safari Version 1.0 (Macintosh)+
• FireFox Version 1 + (Microsoft, Macintosh)

You also must have JAVASCRIPT enabled to use this tool.

To enable JAVASCRIPT in IE execute the following steps:

1. Click the "Tools" button. 
2. Then click "Internet Options" from the drop down menu.
3. Click the "Security" tab.
4. Click the "Custom Level" button.
5. Scroll down the settings menu until you see "Scripting".
6. Click the "Enable" button under Active scripting.
7. Click the "OK" button.

I need Help with the Management Systems in COMET-VR:

Currently, COMET-VR contains the most common crop rotations at the Major Land Resource Area (MLRA) level, determined from the National Resource Inventory (NRI) and other national databases. However, not all possible crop rotations can be included in the model, and thus,  if your particular management system is not listed, we recommend that you choose the rotation which is most similar in terms of residue production and fertilizer management. Or, select the "Other" option to calculate a base carbon level which is representative of the dominant crop sequence in your area.

Work is ongoing to include more perennial and horticultural crops as well as vegetable cropping systems.

Unfortunately, the basic limitation to adding additional management rotations is a lack of soil carbon studies coupled with the site, management and production data needed to validate the model results.

I need more information about Century:

If you are using the COMET-VR site in some academic or research project and you are willing to test and evaluate COMET-VR for your study.  Feel free to contact Dr Keith Paustian with a project description to see if we might be able to collaborate on something more project specific.  Dr Paustian may be contacted by phone or email:

Phone: (970) 491-1547
Email*: keithp@nrel.colostate.edu

What is the COMET-VR Tool and How does it relate to Greenhouse Gas Reporting:

The CarbOn Management Evaluation Tool (COMET-VR) was released to coordinate with the Department of Energy's 1605(b) revised guidelines for the voluntary reporting of greenhouse gas emissions and emission reductions. It is identified as a tool to use in the document Technical Guidelines for Voluntary Reporting of Greenhouse Gas Program Section 1605(b) Part H.

COMET-VR helps farmers and ranchers make management decisions as it report the effectiveness of adopting land-management changes in sequestering soil carbon. This benefits both producers and the environment.

COMET-VR is a web-based decision support calculation tool that allows users to estimate changes in soil carbon storage from agricultural management history on cultivated lands for most region s and cropping systems prevalent in the United States. COMET-VR delivers and estimate of annual soil carbon fluxes along with fuel and fertilizer use which can be reported to the 1605(b) voluntary greenhouse gas reporting system. Producers insert their current and alternative farming and grazing practices into COMET-VR, which then estimates changes in fuel use, fertilizer and carbon storage from each alternative.

COMRT-VR has great potential for future management of farm greenhouse gas emissions, and it also provides a valuable cast benefit to producers.

I need Help with Forestry Management Practices:

In the next version of COMET-VR,  AgroForestry management practices will be available.

I need Help with NRCS CSP EAM-40 Requirements:

If you are an approved NRCS CSP participant for the EAM-40 Carbon Sequestration enhancement you are to provide printouts of the results page of your three management scenarios. You will need to supply additional information and attach a printout of the carbon storage report for each of the current and planned managements identified above, and return this information to your verifier, your Local NRCS District Conservationist. You can download the required document by right clicking this link.

CSP Participation Guidelines: Participants shall run the COMET-VR model using their current management(s) throughout the reporting period, and also make a minimum of three runs of COMET-VR using different management and conservation scenarios.

Documentation Required from Approved CSP Participants: Use of the COMET-VR tool is documented by providing printouts of the results page, and filling out a form to show how soil carbon changes with changes in crop rotations and tillage intensities.

Roel Vining will be able to answer additional questions about the CSP program requirements.

I need Help with 1605(b) Laws and Regulations:

The Energy Information Administration (EIA) of U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) is the lead government agency responsible for collection of greenhouse gas reports under the revised Section 1605(b) of the 1992 Energy Policy Act. The Energy Information Administration (EIA) has initiated the development of the forms and software necessary to implement the revised guidelines. Draft forms and Instructions are available on the EIA web site at www.eia.doe.gov/oiaf/1605/Forms.html.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION ON 1605(b) REPORTING CONTACT:

Requests for additional information should be directed to Grace Sutherland (Grace.Sutherland@eia.doe.gov).

The mailing address is:

I need information on Carbon Trading:

Carbon Trading is an important policy alternative to taxation, and has the important advantage that it can work with voluntary agreements. The aim of both trading and voluntary agreements is to motivate positive responses to a shared problem. In this case, the shared problem is enhancing and protecting the environment. NRCS supports the "Market-Based Approach to Conservation" in the 2007 Farm Bill.

USDA and other federal agencies soon will be authorized to ensure that environmental goods and services produced by agriculture and forests can be used as offsets in regulatory, voluntary partnerships and incentive programs. Generating substantial private-sector demand for environmental goods and services hinges on the ability to use environmental credits generated by agricultural and forest conservation activities.

Agriculture and forestry conservation activities can produce environmental services, such as clean air and water, at lower costs than conventional pollution controls on industrial emissions and effluent. Traditional environmental regulations require firms to reduce pollution to a set level or to install specific technologies and practices. While fairly straightforward, this approach can be costly both to the firms and to society because firms with high costs of pollution reduction and those with low costs are required to meet the same requirements, which may waste resources. In addition, voluntary private-sector partnerships, and incentive programs, both public and private, are generating demand for environmental goods and services associated with agricultural and forest conservation activities. Private sector environmental markets can offer efficiency improvements over traditional regulations and could result in overall increases in environmental and conservation benefits.

In a trading system, companies (assuming they are the trading entities), receive emissions allowances for greenhouse gases. They need to reduce their emissions to that level, buy allowances from others to effectively reduce their emissions, or sell to others if they have an excess of allowances.  For example, a business that is a point source of water pollution could pay a farmer to establish buffer strips to reduce nutrient runoff. These buffer strips might also rehabilitate wetlands, sequester carbon and provide wildlife habitat.

Trading is a market mechanism that has considerable appeal. It drives companies to look at what options they have available to reduce emissions, in a very quantitative way. And when the market exists, it makes companies ask themselves why competitors are finding lower cost options than they have found themselves. It is a stimulus to bringing new technology into practice, because it sets a real cost on emissions and provides market incentives to reduce that cost.

How do I Report my results to the 1605(b) program?

Form EIA-1605 provides the means for the voluntary registering and reporting of greenhouse gas emissions, reductions, and sequestration under Section 1605(b) of the Energy Policy Act (EPAct) of 1992. The purpose of the Voluntary Reporting Program is to encourage corporations, government agencies, non-profit organizations, households, and other private and public entities to submit annual reports of their greenhouse gas emissions, emission reductions, and sequestration activities.  Form EIA-1605 provides the means for voluntary reporting that is complete, reliable, and consistent.

The 1605(b) electronic reporting guidelines for this reporting period are still being developed by DOE and should be finalized by August of 2007.  Draft forms and Instructions are available on the EIA web site at:

www.eia.doe.gov/oiaf/1605/Forms.html.  

EIA expects to complete the software necessary for electronic reporting by summer 2007, in time to permit full implementation of the revised program, by the end of 2007.

The COMET-VR site will not report your carbon values to DOE directly until the electronic submission procedures are finalized. However, You can submit the results of your COMET-VR runs to DOE using this DOE 1605(b) website link: www.emia.doe.gov/oiaf/1605/howto.html.

Save your COMET-VR report to disk to use as a resource in filling out the DOE report. You can save and download the report by right clicking on the link provided on the web site tool page. Or, you can email the report to yourself using the email tool.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION ON 1605B REPORTING CONTACT:
Grace Sutherland (Grace.Sutherland@eia.doe.gov). Ms. Sutherland may be contacted by telephone at (202) 287-1712. The EIA mailing address is:

For additional background information on the 1605(b) Voluntary Reporting Program, consult Voluntary Reporting of Greenhouse Gases under Section 1605(b) of the Energy Policy Act of 1992: General Guidelines and Supporting Documents, DOE/PO-0028. This publication also provides guidance and procedures for reporters who wish to estimate their emission reduction or carbon sequestration achievements.

How do I get Started Running COMET-VR:

Please see the extensive online help for getting started with COMET-VR, the online Frequently Asked Questions, and the online Glossary for definitions of related terms.