Compensation Committee Charter
Energy Transfer Partners, L.P. 1
Contents
Purpose
Membership and Qualification
Meetings and Other Actions
Duties, Responsibilities and Authority
Purpose
Energy Transfer Partners, L.L.C.
(the "Company"), as the general partner of Energy Transfer Partners GP,
L.P., the general partner of Energy Transfer Partners, L.P. (the "Partnership"),
is responsible for the management of the Partnership. The Compensation Committee ("Committee")
is appointed by the Board of Directors of the Company ("Board") to
discharge the Board’s responsibilities relating to compensation of the
Company’s directors and executive officers. The Committee has overall
responsibility for evaluating and recommending to the Board the director and
executive officer compensation plans, policies and programs of the Company.
Membership and Qualification
The Committee shall consist of not less than two members, all of whom must
meet the independence criteria set forth in the Partnership’s Corporate
Governance Guidelines except for the criteria related to prior employment with,
or direct compensation from, the Partnership or its affiliates. The Committee
members shall be elected annually by the Board for terms of one year, or until
their successors shall be duly elected and qualified. Committee members may be removed by the Board
in its discretion. Unless a Committee
Chairman is elected by the full Board, the Committee members may designate a
Chairman. Each member of the Committee also shall satisfy all requirements
necessary from time to time to be "non-employee directors" under Rule 16b-3 of
the rules and regulations of the Securities and Exchange Commission (the "SEC"), as amended from time to time.
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Meetings and Other Actions
The Committee will meet at least once a year and at such
additional times as may be necessary to carry out its responsibilities.
Meetings may be called by the Chairman of the Committee, the Chairman of the
Board, or the Chief Executive Officer2 ("CEO") of the
Company.
Unless otherwise authorized by the Board, the Committee
shall not delegate any of its authority to any subcommittee.
The Committee will make regular reports to the Board with respect to the discharge
of its functions under this Charter. Reports of meetings of and actions taken at meetings or by
consent by the Committee since the most recent Board meeting (except to the
extent covered in an interim report circulated to the Board) shall be made by
the Committee Chairman, or his or her delegate to the Board, at its next
regularly scheduled meeting following the Committee meeting or action and shall
be accompanied by any recommendations from the Committee to the Board. In
addition, the Committee Chairman, or his or her delegate, shall be available to
answer any questions the other directors may have regarding the matters
considered and actions taken by the Committee.
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Duties, Responsibilities and Authority
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The Committee will annually review and approve
corporate goals and objectives relevant to compensation of each CEO, evaluate each
CEO’s performance in light of those goals and
objectives, and determine and make
recommendations to the Board with respect to each CEO’s compensation levels
based on this evaluation. In determining the long-term incentive component of each
CEO’s compensation, the Compensation Committee
will consider the performance and relative unitholder return of the
Partnership, the value of similar incentive awards to chief executive officers
at comparable companies, and the awards given to each CEO in past years.
-
Based on input from and discussion with each
CEO, the Committee will make recommendations to the Board with respect to non-CEO executive officer compensation,
including incentive compensation and compensation under equity-based plans that
are subject to Board approval.
-
The Committee will produce a compensation committee report on executive officer compensation to be
included in the Partnership’s annual report on Form 10-K filed with the SEC, if required by the SEC.
-
The Committee will periodically evaluate the terms and administration of the Company’s annual and long-term incentive plans provided for the benefit of the Partnership to assure that they are structured and administered in a manner
consistent with the Company’s and the Partnership’s goals and objectives as to
participation in such plans, target annual incentive awards, corporate
financial goals, actual awards paid to the Company’s executive officers, and
total funds reserved for payment under the compensation plans.
-
The Committee will administer and periodically evaluate (and approve any proposed amendments to)
existing incentive compensation and equity-related plans and evaluate and
approve the adoption of any new incentive compensation or equity-related plans
and determine when it is necessary (based on advice of counsel) or otherwise desirable: (a) to modify, discontinue or supplement any such plans; or (b) to submit such amendment or adoption to a vote of the Board.
-
The Committee will take action on grants and awards, determinations with
respect to achievement of performance goals, and other matters provided in the Partnership’s
Amended and Restated 2004 Unit Award Plan, the Partnership’s 2008 Long-Term
Incentive Plan, or any other compensation plan which it is designated to
administer.
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The Committee will periodically evaluate the compensation of directors, including for service on
Board committees and taking into account the compensation of directors at other comparable companies, and will make
recommendations to the Board regarding any adjustments in director compensation
that the Committee considers appropriate.
-
The Committee will have the authority to retain
and terminate any compensation consultant to be used to assist in the evaluation of director, CEO or executive officer compensation
and will have authority to approve the consultant’s fees and other retention
terms. The Committee will also have authority to obtain advice and assistance
from internal or external legal, accounting or other advisors.
-
The Committee will perform an annual self-evaluation of the Committee’s performance and annually reassess the adequacy of and, if appropriate,
propose to the Board, any desired changes in, the Committee’s Charter.
-
The Committee will perform such other duties and responsibilities as may be assigned to the Committee,
from time to time, by the Board of the Company and/or the Chairman of the Board, or as designated in benefit plan documents.
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1 Energy Transfer Partners, L.P. is a limited partnership. It is managed by Energy Transfer Partners, L.L.C. (the
"Company"), as its general partner. The Partnership has no board of directors, but under its partnership
agreement, "Board of Directors" is defined to mean the Board of the Company. References herein are to the
Compensation Committee of the Board of Directors of the Company, which functions as the Compensation
Committee of the Partnership.
2 If there is no Chief Executive Officer, any references to Chief Executive Officer shall include the President or
any such other person performing the functions of the chief executive officer.
Compensation Committee Charter
Energy Transfer Equity, L.P. 1
Contents
Purpose
Membership and Qualification
Meetings and Other Actions
Duties, Responsibilities and Authority
Purpose
LE GP, LLC (the "Company"),
as the general partner of Energy Transfer Equity, L.P. (the "Partnership"),
is responsible for the management of the Partnership. The Compensation Committee ("Committee")
is appointed by the Board of Directors of the Company ("Board") to
discharge the Board’s responsibilities relating to compensation of the
Company’s directors and executive officers. The Committee has overall
responsibility for evaluating and recommending to the Board the director and
executive officer compensation plans, policies and programs of the Company.
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Membership and Qualification
The Committee shall consist of not less than two members, all of whom must
meet the independence criteria set forth in the Partnership’s Corporate
Governance Guidelines except for the criteria related to prior employment with,
or direct compensation from, the Partnership or its affiliates. The Committee
members shall be elected annually by the Board for terms of one year, or until
their successors shall be duly elected and qualified. Committee members may be removed by the Board
in its discretion. Unless a Committee
Chairman is elected by the full Board, the Committee members may designate a
Chairman. Each member of the Committee also shall satisfy all requirements
necessary from time to time to be "non-employee directors" under Rule 16b-3 of
the rules and regulations of the Securities and Exchange Commission (the "SEC"), as amended from time to time.
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Meetings and Other Actions
The Committee will meet at least once a year and at such
additional times as may be necessary to carry out its responsibilities.
Meetings may be called by the Chairman of the Committee, the Chairman of the
Board, or the Chief Executive Officer2 ("CEO") of the
Company.
Unless otherwise authorized by the Board, the Committee
shall not delegate any of its authority to any subcommittee.
The Committee will make regular reports to the Board with respect to the discharge
of its functions under this Charter. Reports of meetings of and actions taken at meetings or by
consent by the Committee since the most recent Board meeting (except to the
extent covered in an interim report circulated to the Board) shall be made by
the Committee Chairman, or his or her delegate to the Board, at its next
regularly scheduled meeting following the Committee meeting or action and shall
be accompanied by any recommendations from the Committee to the Board. In
addition, the Committee Chairman, or his or her delegate, shall be available to
answer any questions the other directors may have regarding the matters
considered and actions taken by the Committee.
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Duties, Responsibilities and Authority
-
The Committee will annually review and approve
corporate goals and objectives relevant to compensation of the CEO, evaluate
the CEO’s performance in light of those goals
and objectives, and determine and make
recommendations to the Board with respect to the CEO’s compensation levels
based on this evaluation. In determining the long-term incentive component of
CEO compensation, the Compensation Committee
will consider the performance and relative unitholder return of the
Partnership, the value of similar incentive awards to chief executive officers
at comparable companies, and the awards given to the CEO in past years.
-
Based on input from and discussion with the CEO,
the Committee will make recommendations to the
Board with respect to non-CEO executive officer compensation,
including incentive compensation and compensation under equity-based plans that
are subject to Board approval.
-
The Committee will
produce a compensation committee report on executive officer compensation to be
included in the Partnership’s annual report on Form 10-K filed with the SEC, if
required by the SEC.
-
The Committee will periodically evaluate the terms and administration of the Company’s annual and long-term incentive plans provided for the benefit of the Partnership to assure that they are structured and administered in a manner
consistent with the Company’s and the Partnership’s goals and objectives as to
participation in such plans, target annual incentive awards, corporate
financial goals, actual awards paid to the Company’s executive officers, and
total funds reserved for payment under the compensation plans.
-
The Committee will administer and periodically evaluate (and approve any proposed amendments to)
existing incentive compensation and equity-related plans and evaluate and
approve the adoption of any new incentive compensation or equity-related plans
and determine when it is necessary (based on advice of counsel) or otherwise desirable: (a) to modify, discontinue or supplement any such plans; or (b) to submit such amendment or adoption to a vote of the Board.
-
The Committee will take action on grants and awards, determinations with
respect to achievement of performance goals, and other matters provided in the
Company’s Long-Term Incentive Plan or any other compensation plan which it is
designated to administer.
-
The Committee will periodically evaluate the compensation of directors, including for service on
Board committees and taking into account the compensation of directors at other comparable companies, and will make
recommendations to the Board regarding any adjustments in director compensation
that the Committee considers appropriate.
-
The Committee will have the authority to retain
and terminate any compensation consultant to be used to assist in the evaluation of director, CEO or executive officer compensation and will have authority to approve the consultant’s fees and other retention
terms. The Committee will also have authority to obtain advice and assistance
from internal or external legal, accounting or other advisors.
-
The Committee will perform an annual self-evaluation of the Committee’s performance and annually reassess the adequacy of and, if appropriate,
propose to the Board, any desired changes in, the Committee’s Charter.
-
The Committee will perform such other duties and responsibilities as may be assigned to the Committee,
from time to time, by the Board of the Company and/or the Chairman of the
Board, or as designated in benefit plan documents.
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1 Energy Transfer Equity, L.P. is a master limited partnership. It is managed by LE
GP, LLC (the "Company"), as its general partner. The Partnership has no board of directors,
but under its partnership agreement, "Board of Directors" is defined to mean
the Board of the Company. References
herein are to the Compensation Committee of the Board of Directors of the
Company, which functions as the Compensation Committee of the Partnership.
2 If there is no Chief Executive Officer,
any references to Chief Executive Officer shall include the President or any
such other person performing the functions of the chief executive officer.