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Common Stock and Earnings Per Share | 12 Months Ended
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Dec. 31, 2012
Common Stock and Earnings Per Share [Abstract] |
Common Stock and Earnings Per Share [Text Block] | COMMON STOCK AND EARNINGS PER SHARE
Summary of Common Stock | Shares | Equity
| Thousands | Millions
Balance as of December 31, 2009 | 35,221 |  |  | $613.4 |
Employee Stock Purchase Program | 19 |  | 0.6 |
Invest Direct | 346 |  | 11.7 |
Options and Stock Awards | 51 |  | 4.4 |
Equity Issuance Program | 180 |  | 6.0 |
Balance as of December 31, 2010 | 35,817 |  |  | $636.1 |
Employee Stock Purchase Program | 20 |  | 0.8 |
Invest Direct | 437 |  | 17.2 |
Options and Stock Awards | 109 |  | 6.7 |
Equity Issuance Program | 400 |  | 16.0 |
Purchase of Non-Controlling Interest | 222 |  | 8.8 |
Contributions to Pension | 508 |  | 20.0 |
Balance as of December 31, 2011 | 37,513 |  |  | $705.6 |
Employee Stock Purchase Program | 20 |  | 0.8 |
Invest Direct | 474 |  | 19.2 |
Options and Stock Awards | 95 |  | 6.0 |
Equity Issuance Program | 1,275 |  | 53.1 |
Balance as of December 31, 2012 | 39,377 |  |  | $784.7 |
Equity Issuance Program. We entered into a distribution agreement with KCCI, Inc., in February 2008, as amended most recently on August 3, 2012, with respect to the issuance and sale of up to an aggregate of 9.6 million shares of our common stock, without par value, of which 4.5 million remain available for issuance. For the year ended December 31, 2012, 1.3 million shares of common stock were issued under this agreement resulting in net proceeds of $53.1 million. During 2011, 0.4 million shares of common stock were issued for net proceeds of $16.0 million. The shares issued in 2012 and 2011 were, and the remaining shares may be, offered for sale, from time to time, in accordance with the terms of the amended distribution agreement pursuant to Registration Statement No. 333-170289. Earnings Per Share. The difference between basic and diluted earnings per share, if any, arises from outstanding stock options, non-vested restricted stock, and performance share awards granted under our Executive and Director Long-Term Incentive Compensation Plans. In 2012, in accordance with accounting standards for earnings per share, 0.2 million options 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 (0.3 million shares were excluded in 2011 and 0.5 million in 2010). Purchase of Non-Controlling Interest. In 2011, the remaining shares of the ALLETE Properties non-controlling interest were purchased at book value for $8.8 million by issuing 0.2 million unregistered shares of ALLETE common stock. This was accounted for as an equity transaction, and no gain or loss is recognized in net income or comprehensive income. Contributions to Pension. In 2011, ALLETE contributed approximately 0.5 million shares of ALLETE common stock to its pension plan. These shares of ALLETE common stock were contributed in reliance upon an exemption available pursuant to Section 4(a)(2) of the Securities Act of 1933 and had an aggregate value of $20.0 million when contributed. NOTE 12. COMMON STOCK AND EARNINGS PER SHARE (Continued)
Reconciliation of Basic and Diluted |  |  |
Earnings Per Share |  | Dilutive |  |
Year Ended December 31 | Basic | Securities |  | Diluted
Millions Except Per Share Amounts |  |  |
2012 |  |  |
Net Income Attributable to ALLETE |  | $97.1 |  |  |  |  | $97.1 |
Average Common Shares | 37.6 |  | — |  | 37.6 |
Earnings Per Share |  | $2.59 |  |  |  |  | $2.58 |
2011 |  |  |
Net Income Attributable to ALLETE |  | $93.8 |  |  |  |  | $93.8 |
Average Common Shares | 35.3 |  | 0.1 |  | 35.4 |
Earnings Per Share |  | $2.66 |  |  |  |  | $2.65 |
2010 |  |  |
Net Income Attributable to ALLETE |  | $75.3 |  |  |  |  | $75.3 |
Average Common Shares | 34.2 |  | 0.1 |  | 34.3 |
Earnings Per Share |  | $2.20 |  |  |  |  | $2.19 |

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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=7655603&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=16381557&loc=d3e4984-109258 Reference 3: 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 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=7655603&loc=d3e1278-109256 Reference 5: 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 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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