Introduction

Agency Agreements

Purpose

An Agency Agreement allows a contract holder to assign certain functions to an agent. In PASSKEY 1.0, the Blanket Authorization gives full access to all the contract holder’s contracts and all the contract holder’s functions to the Blanket Agent. The Agency Authorization gives only nomination rights to the Agent. However, in PASSKEY, the Agency Agreement combines both the Blanket and Agency Authorization with more flexibility. The contract holder can choose which contracts and which functions to agent.

Contract Level Functions

• Contract Level Nomination Rights—The contract holder designates an agent to nominate on his behalf. One agent per designated contract volume is allowed.
• Contract Level Amendment Rights and Capacity Release Rights—This function allows the contract holder to designate an agent to amend a contract on the contract holder’s behalf. The agent can amend primary receipt and delivery meters on transportation contracts, increase or decrease the MDQ and add or delete meters on OBA’s. This function also allows the agent to post capacity release offers in PASSKEY. One agent per contract is allowed. Contracts created as a result of a self-release are automatically added to the agent for this function. All other functions must be added manually if applicable.
• Contract Level Billing—The contract holder designates an agent to receive and pay the invoice for the designated contracts. One agent per contract is allowed.
• Contract Level Report Access—The agent downloads all contract level reports for the designated contracts. No limit to the number of agents.

The contract holder can agent not only all contracts or specific contracts but also agent the contract level functions to future contracts (contracts not yet created). If the contract holder agents future contracts, the agent has any or all of the above functions for all contracts created after the effective date of the agency. One agent per function is allowed.

NOTE: Exception–The successful bidder on released capacity is granted amendment rights and capacity release rights on the new contract even if a different party is set up as the amendment and capacity release (future) agent.

Party Level Functions

• Confirmation Rights—The agent confirms meter level nominations in PASSKEY. One agent is permitted per business party.
• Create New Contracts and Bid on Capacity Release Postings—An agent enters into new contracts in the name of the contract holder and bid on capacity release postings in the name of the contract holder. One agent is permitted per business party.
• Party Level Report Access—The agent downloads all reports associated with the business party. No limit to the number of agents.

The contract holder can agent all contracts and all functions using the Full Agency option.

The contract holder can give View rights to the confirmation function, the nomination function, the billing function (contract holder receives a copy of the invoice) and the contract function. The contract holder will have view rights to all agented functions unless specifically otherwise requested.

I.  Contract Level Agency

Navigation

Navigate to the Contracts application and click the + (plus sign) to view the expanded contents of the application. Click the Agency Agreements folder; then select the Create Contract Level sub-folder to display the Create Contract Level screen.

How To Create A Contract Level Agency

To create a Contract Level Agency, only the Contract Holder should perform the following steps:

1. Click the Function to Assign drop-down menu to select the appropriate function.
   NOTE: If the Contract Holder wants to select more than one function (for the same agent and the same contract), enter the information for the first function and click the Create Results button. Next, return to the Criteria tab and select the next function; then click the Create Results button and repeat until all desired functions have been selected.
2. Click the Action to Assign drop-down menu to select the appropriate action.
3. Type the agency’s effective date in the Effective Date field using the MM/DD/YYYY format, or click the down arrow to select the effective date from the calendar.
4. Type the agency’s termination date in the Actual Term Date field using the MM/DD/YYYY format, or click the down arrow menu to select the termination date from the calendar.
   NOTE: The Actual Term Date field is optional.
5. Select the Agent Company by clicking the Agent Prop down arrow. To look up an agent company, type the company name in all capital letters in the Entity Name box; then click the arrow. Select the appropriate company; then click the Check button. The agent common code and name are automatically updated.
6. Select the contracts to be assigned to the agent. To select all contracts listed, click the All Contracts box, or select specific contracts by holding the Ctrl key and clicking in the first column of the grid for each desired contract.
7. Click the Create Results button.
   NOTE: The X button will delete a line on the Results tab.
8. Click the Submit button to transmit the request to Tennessee Gas Pipeline.
9. Tennessee Gas Pipeline will approve the request. After approval, the Contract Holder and the Agent must execute the Agency Agreement online or via hardcopy. Notice addresses and billing addresses (if applicable) must be added prior to execution. To add addresses and execute, select External Review/Maintain under the Agency Agreements folder.

II.  Party Level Agency

Navigation

Navigate to the Contracts application and click the + (plus sign) to view the expanded contents of the application. Click the + (plus sign) next to the Agency Agreements folder; then double-click the Create Future/Party Level sub-folder to display the Create Future/Party Level screen.

How To Create A Party Level Agency

To create a Party Level Agency Agreement, either the Contract Holder or the Agent may perform the following steps:

1. Click the drop-down menu in the Function to Assign field. Select the Billing (Future k), Confirmation, Create/Bid Contract, Full Agency, Maint/Rise contract (Future k), Nominations (Future k), or Reports (Party Level) option from the drop-down menu.
2. Click the down arrow in the Action to Assign field; then select either Update or View.
3. Type the contract’s effective date in the Effective Date field using the MM/DD/YYYY format, or click the down arrow to select the effective date from the calendar.
4. Type the contract’s termination date in the Actual Term Date field using the MM/DD/YYYY format, or click the down arrow and select the termination date from the calendar.
   NOTE: The Actual Term Date field is optional.
5. Click the CH Prop’s down arrow to search for the Contract Holder’s name. Type the contract holder’s company name in all capital letters in the Entity Name field. Click the Search button to begin the search. Highlight the appropriate company from the displayed list and click the Check button.
   NOTE: The Contract Holder Name and Contract Holder fields will be automatically updated with the correct contract holder code.
6. Click the Agent Prop’s down arrow to search for the Agent’s name. Type the agent’s company name in all capital letters in the Entity Name field. Click the Search button to begin the search. Highlight the appropriate company from the displayed list and click the Check button. The Agent Name and Agent fields will be automatically updated with the correct agent code.
7. Once the applicable fields are complete, click the Create Results button.
   NOTE: To delete a line on the Results tab, click the X button.
8. Click the Submit button. The request will be submitted to Tennessee Gas Pipeline for approval.

NOTE: Once approval is received, the Contract Holder and Agent must execute the agency agreement online or via hard copy. To add addresses and execute the contract online, select External Review/Maintain under the Agency Agreements folder. Notice and/or billing addresses (if applicable) must be added prior to execution.

III.  External Contracts

Navigation (External Review/Maintain Contracts)

Notice and/or billing address information must be added to the contract prior to online execution. To add notice or billing addresses, navigate to the Contracts application and click the + (plus sign) to view the expanded contents of the application. Click the + (plus sign) next to the Agency Agreements folder; then double-click the External Review/Maintain sub-folder to display the External Review/Maintain screen.

How To Execute External Contracts (Online)

To add notice and billing addresses and execute an Agency Agreement, both the Contract Holder and the Agent should perform the following steps:

1. Select either the Party tab for party level agencies or the Contract tab for contract level agencies. To view all agencies, click the arrow button. PASSKEY can filter the data by contract holder (CH Prop), agent (Agent Prop), Agency ID, effective date (Eff Date), termination date (Actual Term), function, action or status. Add the notice and/or billing address by selecting the contract/function combination that requires an address by clicking in the blue column to the left of the grid. The selection will be highlighted. Click the Change Value(s) button.
   NOTE: To select more than one line of data, hold down the Ctrl key while clicking the first column of the additional lines you want to select.
2. Click the drop-down arrow in the CH Notice Addr Grp, Agent Notice Addr Grp, or Agent Billing Addr Grp field. (Your selection will depend on which field is applicable to the agreement being executed.) Select the correct address by highlighting the address groups in the grid and viewing the address below the grid. Then, click the Check button.
   NOTE: If the correct address is not displayed, a new address group must be added in the Corporate application.
3. Execute the agreement online by selecting the contract/function combination that requires execution. To select more than one line of data, hold down the Ctrl key on the keyboard while clicking the first column of the displayed grid. Click the Change Value button.
   NOTE: The contract holder or agent can only execute contract/function combinations that have been approved by Tennessee Gas Pipeline (A) or approved by Tennessee Gas Pipeline with revisions (R). If Tennessee Gas Pipeline revises the contract and the contract holder or agent does not agree with the revisions, the contract holder or agent should contact the account representative. A withdrawn (W) status can be entered here if an agreement cannot be reached among the three parties.
4. In the Agent Status or CH Status field, click the drop-down arrow and select Execute. Click the Check button. Next, submit the revised agreement to Tennessee Gas Pipeline by clicking the Save button.

IV.  Agency Agreements Summary

Navigation

Navigate to the Contracts application and click the + (plus sign) to view the expanded contents of the application. Click the + (plus sign) next to the Agency Agreements folder; then double-click the Agency Agreement Summary sub-folder to display the Agency Agreements screen.

How To View An Agency Agreement Summary

To view a summary of all functions and contracts that have agents, either the Contract Holder or the Agent should perform the following step:

1. Click the Party tab to view the party level agencies. The Agent tab displays all party level functions agented to the customer when the arrow is clicked. The Contract Holder tab displays all party level functions the customer has agented to another party.
   NOTE: Party and Contract data can be filtered by contract holder (CH Prop), agent (Agent Prop), Agency ID, effective date (Eff Date), termination date (Actual Term), function, or action.
2. Click the Contract Level tab to view contract level agencies. The Agent tab displays all contract level functions agented to the customer when the arrow is clicked. The Contract Holder tab displays all contract level functions the customer has agented to another party.

NOTE: Party and Contract data can be filtered by contract (CH Prop), agent (Agent Prop), effective date (Eff Date), termination date (Actual Term), function, action or Agency ID.

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