XML 60 R19.htm IDEA: XBRL DOCUMENT
v2.4.0.6

Pension and Other Postretirement Benefit Plans | 9 Months Ended
--- | ---
Sep. 30, 2012
Pension and Other Postretirement Benefit Plans [Abstract] |
Pension and Other Postretirement Benefit Plans [Text Block] | PENSION AND OTHER POSTRETIREMENT BENEFIT PLANS
| Pension |  | Other Postretirement
Components of Net Periodic Benefit Expense | 2012 |  | 2011 |  | 2012 |  | 2011
Millions |  |  |  |  |  |  |
For the Quarter Ended September 30, |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Service Cost |  | $2.3 |  |  |  | $1.9 |  |  |  | $1.0 |  |  |  | $1.0 |
Interest Cost | 6.6 |  |  | 6.8 |  |  | 2.4 |  |  | 2.7 |
Expected Return on Plan Assets | (8.9 | ) |  | (8.7 | ) |  | (2.5 | ) |  | (2.4 | )
Amortization of Prior Service Costs | — |  |  | 0.1 |  |  | (0.4 | ) |  | (0.4 | )
Amortization of Net Loss | 4.4 |  |  | 3.1 |  |  | 1.9 |  |  | 2.1 |
Net Periodic Benefit Expense |  | $4.4 |  |  |  | $3.2 |  |  |  | $2.4 |  |  |  | $3.0 |
For the Nine Months Ended September 30, |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Service Cost |  | $6.9 |  |  |  | $5.7 |  |  |  | $3.1 |  |  |  | $2.9 |
Interest Cost | 19.8 |  |  | 20.5 |  |  | 7.1 |  |  | 8.1 |
Expected Return on Plan Assets | (26.6 | ) |  | (26.0 | ) |  | (7.5 | ) |  | (7.3 | )
Amortization of Prior Service Costs | 0.2 |  |  | 0.3 |  |  | (1.3 | ) |  | (1.3 | )
Amortization of Net Loss | 13.1 |  |  | 9.1 |  |  | 5.7 |  |  | 6.4 |
Amortization of Transition Obligation | — |  |  | — |  |  | 0.1 |  |  | 0.1 |
Net Periodic Benefit Expense |  | $13.4 |  |  |  | $9.6 |  |  |  | $7.2 |  |  |  | $8.9 |
Employer Contributions. For the nine months ended September 30, 2012, no contributions were made to our defined benefit pension plan ($6.6 million for the nine months ended September 30, 2011). For the nine months ended September 30, 2012, no contributions were made to our other postretirement benefit plan ($10.9 million for the nine months ended September 30, 2011). We do not expect to make any contributions to our defined benefit pension plan in 2012, and we expect to contribute $8.7 million to our other postretirement benefit plan in 2012. In July 2012, Congress passed legislation which included a pension funding stabilization provision. The provision, which is designed to stabilize the discount rate used to determine funding requirements from the effects of interest rate volatility, will not have a material impact on our contributions in 2012. Accounting and disclosure requirements for the Medicare Prescription Drug, Improvement and Modernization Act of 2003 (Act) provide guidance for employers that sponsor postretirement health care plans that provide prescription drug benefits. We provide postretirement health benefits that include prescription drug benefits, which qualify for the federal subsidy under the Act. For the nine months ended September 30, 2012, we received $0.3 million in prescription drug reimbursements.

X
- Details
Name: | ale_PensionAndOtherPostretirementBenefitPlansAbstract
Namespace Prefix: | ale_
Data Type: | xbrli:stringItemType
Balance Type: | na
Period Type: | duration

X
- Definition The entire disclosure for pension and other postretirement benefits. + References Reference 1: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef -Publisher FASB -Name Statement of Financial Accounting Standard (FAS) -Number 158 -Paragraph 7, 21, 22 -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 2: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef -Publisher FASB -Name FASB Staff Position (FSP) -Number FAS106-2 -Paragraph 20, 21, 22 -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 3: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef -Publisher FASB -Name Implementation Guide (Q and A) -Number FAS88 -Paragraph 63 -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 Statement of Financial Accounting Standard (FAS) -Number 106 -Paragraph 518 -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 5: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef -Publisher FASB -Name Accounting Standards Codification -Topic 715 -URI http://asc.fasb.org/topic&trid=2235017 Reference 6: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef -Publisher FASB -Name Statement of Financial Accounting Standard (FAS) -Number 132R -Paragraph 5, 6, 7, 8 -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 7: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef -Publisher FASB -Name Statement of Financial Accounting Standard (FAS) -Number 132R -Paragraph 5 -Subparagraph b -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 8: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef -Publisher FASB -Name Statement of Financial Accounting Standard (FAS) -Number 132R -Paragraph 8 -Subparagraph m -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 9: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef -Publisher FASB -Name Statement of Financial Accounting Standard (FAS) -Number 87 -Paragraph 264 -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 10: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef -Publisher AICPA -Name Accounting Principles Board Opinion (APB) -Number 30 -Paragraph 26 -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 Emerging Issues Task Force (EITF) -Number 03-2 -Paragraph 8 -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 12: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef -Publisher FASB -Name Statement of Financial Accounting Standard (FAS) -Number 132R -Paragraph 5 -Subparagraph h -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 13: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef -Publisher FASB -Name Statement of Financial Accounting Standard (FAS) -Number 132R -Paragraph 5 -Subparagraph a -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 14: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef -Publisher FASB -Name Statement of Financial Accounting Standard (FAS) -Number 132R -Paragraph 5 -Subparagraph q -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. + Details
Name: | us-gaap_PensionAndOtherPostretirementBenefitsDisclosureTextBlock
Namespace Prefix: | us-gaap_
Data Type: | nonnum:textBlockItemType
Balance Type: | na
Period Type: | duration