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Business Segments | 12 Months Ended
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Dec. 31, 2011
Business Segments [Abstract] |
Business Segments [Text Block] | Business Segments Regulated Operations includes our regulated utilities, Minnesota Power and SWL&P, as well as our investment in ATC, a Wisconsin-based utility that owns and maintains electric transmission assets in parts of Wisconsin, Michigan, Minnesota and Illinois. Investments and Other is comprised primarily of BNI Coal, our coal mining operations in North Dakota, ALLETE Properties, our Florida real estate investment, and ALLETE Clean Energy, formed in June 2011, aimed at developing or acquiring capital projects that create energy solutions via wind, solar, biomass, hydro, natural gas/liquids, shale resources, clean coal and other clean energy innovations. This segment also includes a small amount of non-rate base generation, approximately 5,500 acres of land available-for-sale in Minnesota, and earnings on cash and investments. For a description of our reportable business segments, see Item 1. Business.
| Consolidated | Regulated Operations | Investments and Other
Millions |  |  |
2011 |  |  |
Operating Revenue |  | $928.2 |  |  | $851.9 |  |  | $76.3 |
Fuel and Purchased Power Expense | 306.6 |  | 306.6 |  | — |
Operating and Maintenance Expense | 381.2 |  | 301.5 |  | 79.7 |
Depreciation Expense | 90.4 |  | 85.4 |  | 5.0 |
Operating Income (Loss) | 150.0 |  | 158.4 |  | (8.4 | )
Interest Expense | (43.6 | ) | (35.8 | ) | (7.8 | )
Equity Earnings in ATC | 18.4 |  | 18.4 |  | — |
Other Income | 4.4 |  | 2.6 |  | 1.8 |
Income (Loss) Before Non-Controlling Interest and Income Taxes | 129.2 |  | 143.6 |  | (14.4 | )
Income Tax Expense (Benefit) | 35.6 |  | 43.2 |  | (7.6 | )
Net Income (Loss) | 93.6 |  | 100.4 |  | (6.8 | )
Less: Non-Controlling Interest in Subsidiaries | (0.2 | ) | — |  | (0.2 | )
Net Income (Loss) Attributable to ALLETE |  | $93.8 |  |  | $100.4 |  | $(6.6)
Total Assets |  | $2,876.0 |  |  | $2,579.8 |  |  | $296.2 |
Capital Additions |  | $246.8 |  |  | $228.0 |  |  | $18.8 |
Note 2. Business Segments (Continued)
| Consolidated | Regulated Operations | Investments and Other
Millions |  |  |
2010 |  |  |
Operating Revenue |  | $907.0 |  |  | $835.5 |  |  | $71.5 |
Fuel and Purchased Power Expense | 325.1 |  | 325.1 |  | — |
Operating and Maintenance Expense | 365.6 |  | 292.3 |  | 73.3 |
Depreciation Expense | 80.5 |  | 76.1 |  | 4.4 |
Operating Income (Loss) | 135.8 |  | 142.0 |  | (6.2 | )
Interest Expense | (39.2 | ) | (32.3 | ) | (6.9 | )
Equity Earnings in ATC | 17.9 |  | 17.9 |  | — |
Other Income | 4.6 |  | 3.8 |  | 0.8 |
Income (Loss) Before Non-Controlling Interest and Income Taxes | 119.1 |  | 131.4 |  | (12.3 | )
Income Tax Expense (Benefit) | 44.3 |  | 51.6 |  | (7.3 | )
Net Income (Loss) | 74.8 |  | 79.8 |  | (5.0 | )
Less: Non-Controlling Interest in Subsidiaries | (0.5 | ) | — |  | (0.5 | )
Net Income (Loss) Attributable to ALLETE |  | $75.3 |  |  | $79.8 |  | $(4.5)
Total Assets |  | $2,609.1 |  |  | $2,375.4 |  |  | $233.7 |
Capital Additions |  | $260.0 |  |  | $256.4 |  |  | $3.6 |
| Consolidated | Regulated Operations | Investments and Other
Millions |  |  |
2009 |  |  |
Operating Revenue |  | $766.7 |  |  | $689.4 |  |  | $77.3 |
Prior Year Rate Refunds | (7.6 | ) | (7.6 | ) | — |
Total Operating Revenue | 759.1 |  | 681.8 |  | 77.3 |
Fuel and Purchased Power Expense | 279.5 |  | 279.5 |  | — |
Operating and Maintenance Expense | 308.9 |  | 235.8 |  | 73.1 |
Depreciation Expense | 64.7 |  | 60.2 |  | 4.5 |
Operating Income (Loss) | 106.0 |  | 106.3 |  | (0.3 | )
Interest Expense | (33.8 | ) | (28.3 | ) | (5.5 | )
Equity Earnings in ATC | 17.5 |  | 17.5 |  | — |
Other Income (Expense) | 1.8 |  | 5.8 |  | (4.0 | )
Income (Loss) Before Non-Controlling Interest and Income Taxes | 91.5 |  | 101.3 |  | (9.8 | )
Income Tax Expense (Benefit) | 30.8 |  | 35.4 |  | (4.6 | )
Net Income (Loss) | 60.7 |  | 65.9 |  | (5.2 | )
Less: Non-Controlling Interest in Subsidiaries | (0.3 | ) | — |  | (0.3 | )
Net Income (Loss) Attributable to ALLETE |  | $61.0 |  |  | $65.9 |  | $(4.9)
Total Assets |  | $2,393.1 |  |  | $2,184.0 |  |  | $209.1 |
Capital Additions |  | $303.7 |  |  | $299.2 |  |  | $4.5 |

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- Definition The entire disclosure for reporting segments including data and tables. Reportable segments include those that meet any of the following quantitative thresholds a) it's reported revenue, including sales to external customers and intersegment sales or transfers is 10 percent or more of the combined revenue, internal and external, of all operating segments b) the absolute amount of its reported profit or loss is 10 percent or more of the greater, in absolute amount of 1) the combined reported profit of all operating segments that did not report a loss or 2) the combined reported loss of all operating segments that did report a loss c) its assets are 10 percent or more of the combined assets of all operating segments. + References Reference 1: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef -Publisher FASB -Name Accounting Standards Codification -Topic 280 -SubTopic 10 -Section 50 -Paragraph 12 -URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=6534315&loc=d3e8595-108599 Reference 2: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef -Publisher FASB -Name Accounting Standards Codification -Topic 280 -SubTopic 10 -Section 50 -Paragraph 10 -URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=6534315&loc=d3e8538-108599 Reference 3: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef -Publisher FASB -Name Accounting Standards Codification -Topic 280 -SubTopic 10 -Section 50 -Paragraph 33 -URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=6534315&loc=d3e8971-108599 Reference 4: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef -Publisher FASB -Name Accounting Standards Codification -Topic 280 -SubTopic 10 -Section 50 -Paragraph 34 -URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=6534315&loc=d3e8981-108599 Reference 5: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef -Publisher FASB -Name Accounting Standards Codification -Topic 280 -SubTopic 10 -Section 50 -Paragraph 29 -URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=6534315&loc=d3e8864-108599 Reference 6: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef -Publisher FASB -Name Accounting Standards Codification -Topic 280 -SubTopic 10 -Section 50 -Paragraph 1 -URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=6534315&loc=d3e8380-108599 Reference 7: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef -Publisher FASB -Name Accounting Standards Codification -Topic 280 -SubTopic 10 -Section 50 -Paragraph 35 -URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=6534315&loc=d3e8984-108599 Reference 8: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef -Publisher FASB -Name Accounting Standards Codification -Topic 280 -SubTopic 10 -Section 50 -Paragraph 41 -URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=6534315&loc=d3e9038-108599 Reference 9: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef -Publisher FASB -Name Accounting Standards Codification -Topic 280 -SubTopic 10 -Section 50 -Paragraph 32 -URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=6534315&loc=d3e8933-108599 Reference 10: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef -Publisher FASB -Name Statement of Financial Accounting Standard (FAS) -Number 131 -LegacyDoc This reference is SUPERSEDED by the Accounting Standards Codification effective for interim and annual periods ending after September 15, 2009. This reference is included to help users transition from the previous accounting hierarchy and will be removed from future versions of this taxonomy. Reference 11: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef -Publisher FASB -Name Accounting Standards Codification -Topic 280 -SubTopic 10 -Section 50 -Paragraph 30 -URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=6534315&loc=d3e8906-108599 Reference 12: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef -Publisher FASB -Name Accounting Standards Codification -Topic 280 -SubTopic 10 -Section 50 -Paragraph 26 -URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=6534315&loc=d3e8844-108599 Reference 13: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef -Publisher FASB -Name Accounting Standards Codification -Topic 280 -SubTopic 10 -Section 50 -Paragraph 40 -URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=6534315&loc=d3e9031-108599 Reference 14: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef -Publisher FASB -Name Accounting Standards Codification -Topic 280 -SubTopic 10 -Section 50 -Paragraph 42 -URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=6534315&loc=d3e9054-108599 Reference 15: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef -Publisher FASB -Name Accounting Standards Codification -Topic 280 -SubTopic 10 -Section 50 -Paragraph 31 -URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=6534315&loc=d3e8924-108599 + Details
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