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Earnings Per Share and Common Stock | 3 Months Ended
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Mar. 31, 2012
Earnings Per Share and Common Stock [Abstract] |
Earnings Per Share and Common Stock [Text Block] | EARNINGS PER SHARE AND COMMON STOCK The difference between basic and diluted earnings per share, if any, arises from outstanding stock options and performance share awards granted under our Executive and Director Long-Term Incentive Compensation Plans. For the quarters ended March 31, 2012 and 2011, 0.2 million and 0.4 million options, respectively, to purchase shares of common stock were excluded from the computation of diluted earnings per share because the option exercise prices were greater than the average market prices; therefore, their effect would have been anti-dilutive.
|  |  | 2012 |  |  |  |  |  | 2011 |  |
Reconciliation of Basic and Diluted |  |  | Dilutive |  |  |  |  |  | Dilutive |  |
Earnings Per Share | Basic |  | Securities |  | Diluted |  | Basic |  | Securities |  | Diluted
Millions Except Per Share Amounts |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
For the Quarter Ended March 31, |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Net Income Attributable to ALLETE | $24.4 |  |  |  |  |  | $24.4 |  |  |  | $37.2 |  |  |  |  |  | $37.2 |
Common Shares | 36.8 |  |  | 0.1 |  |  | 36.9 |  |  | 34.6 |  |  | 0.1 |  |  | 34.7 |
Earnings Per Share | $0.66 |  |  |  |  | $0.66 |  |  |  | $1.07 |  |  |  |  |  | $1.07 |

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- Definition The entire disclosure for earnings per share. + References Reference 1: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef -Publisher FASB -Name Accounting Standards Codification -Topic 260 -SubTopic 10 -Section 45 -Paragraph 2 -URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=6920599&loc=d3e1252-109256 Reference 2: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef -Publisher FASB -Name Accounting Standards Codification -Topic 260 -SubTopic 10 -Section 55 -Paragraph 52 -URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=6945512&loc=d3e4984-109258 Reference 3: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef -Publisher FASB -Name Statement of Financial Accounting Standard (FAS) -Number 128 -Paragraph 40 -LegacyDoc This reference is SUPERSEDED by the Accounting Standards Codification effective for interim and annual periods ending after September 15, 2009.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 4: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef -Publisher FASB -Name Accounting Standards Codification -Topic 260 -SubTopic 10 -Section 45 -Paragraph 3 -URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=6920599&loc=d3e1278-109256 Reference 5: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef -Publisher FASB -Name Accounting Standards Codification -Topic 260 -SubTopic 10 -Section 50 -Paragraph 1 -Subparagraph (a) -URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=6371337&loc=d3e3550-109257 Reference 6: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef -Publisher FASB -Name Accounting Standards Codification -Topic 225 -SubTopic 10 -Section S99 -Paragraph 2 -Subparagraph (SX 210.5-03.21) -URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=6880815&loc=d3e20235-122688 + Details
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