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Short-Term and Long-Term Debt | 9 Months Ended
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Sep. 30, 2012
Short-Term and Long-Term Debt [Abstract] |
Short-Term and Long-Term Debt [Text Block] | SHORT-TERM AND LONG-TERM DEBT Short-Term Debt. As of September 30, 2012, total short-term debt outstanding was $67.6 million ($6.5 million as of December 31, 2011) and consisted of long-term debt due within one year and notes payable. Short-term debt increased from year end primarily due to $60 million of long-term debt maturing in April 2013, which is classified as short-term as of September 30, 2012. Long-Term Debt. As of September 30, 2012, total long-term debt outstanding was $947.6 million ($857.9 million as of December 31, 2011). On July 2, 2012, we issued $160.0 million of the Company’s First Mortgage Bonds (Bonds) in the private placement market in two series as follows:
Issue Date | Maturity Date | Principal Amount | Interest Rate
July 2, 2012 | July 15, 2026 | $75 Million | 3.20%
July 2, 2012 | July 15, 2042 | $85 Million | 4.08%
NOTE 8. SHORT-TERM AND LONG-TERM DEBT (Continued) We have the option to prepay all or a portion of the 3.20 percent Bonds at our discretion at any time prior to January 15, 2026, subject to a make-whole provision, and at any time on or after January 15, 2026, at par, including, in each case, accrued and unpaid interest. We also have the option to prepay all or a portion of the 4.08 percent Bonds at our discretion at any time prior to January 15, 2042, subject to a make-whole provision, and at any time on or after January 15, 2042, at par, including, in each case, accrued and unpaid interest. The Bonds are subject to the additional terms and conditions of our utility mortgage. In July 2012, we used a portion of the proceeds from the sale of the Bonds to redeem $6.0 million of our 6.50 percent Industrial Development Revenue Bonds and to repay $14.0 million in outstanding borrowings on our $150.0 million line of credit. The remaining proceeds will be used to fund utility capital expenditures and/or for general corporate purposes. The Bonds were sold in reliance on an exemption from registration under Section 4(a)(2) of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, to certain institutional accredited investors. Financial Covenants. Our long-term debt arrangements contain customary covenants. In addition, our lines of credit and letters of credit supporting certain long-term debt arrangements contain financial covenants. Our compliance with financial covenants is not dependent on debt ratings. The most restrictive financial covenant requires ALLETE to maintain a ratio of Indebtedness to Total Capitalization (as the amounts are calculated in accordance with the respective long-term debt arrangements) of less than or equal to 0.65 to 1.00, measured quarterly. As of September 30, 2012, our ratio was approximately 0.46 to 1.00. Failure to meet this covenant would give rise to an event of default if not cured after notice from a lender, in which event ALLETE may need to pursue alternative sources of funding. Some of ALLETE’s debt arrangements contain “cross-default” provisions that would result in an event of default if there is a failure under other financing arrangements to meet payment terms or to observe other covenants that would result in an acceleration of payments due. As of September 30, 2012, ALLETE was in compliance with its financial covenants.

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- Definition The entire disclosure for information about short-term and long-term debt arrangements, which includes amounts of borrowings under each line of credit, note payable, commercial paper issue, bonds indenture, debenture issue, own-share lending arrangements and any other contractual agreement to repay funds, and about the underlying arrangements, rationale for a classification as long-term, including repayment terms, interest rates, collateral provided, restrictions on use of assets and activities, whether or not in compliance with debt covenants, and other matters important to users of the financial statements, such as the effects of refinancing and noncompliance with debt covenants. + References Reference 1: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef -Publisher FASB -Name Accounting Standards Codification -Topic 210 -SubTopic 10 -Section S99 -Paragraph 1 -Subparagraph (SX 210.5-02.19,20,22) -URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=6877327&loc=d3e13212-122682 Reference 2: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef -Publisher FASB -Name Accounting Standards Codification -Topic 505 -SubTopic 10 -Section 50 -Paragraph 3 -URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=6928386&loc=d3e21475-112644 Reference 3: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef -Publisher SEC -Name Regulation S-X (SX) -Number 210 -Section 02 -Paragraph 19, 20, 22 -Article 5 Reference 4: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef -Publisher FASB -Name Statement of Financial Accounting Standard (FAS) -Number 129 -Paragraph 2, 4 -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
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