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Investments | 3 Months Ended
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Mar. 31, 2013
Investments [Abstract] |
Investments [Text Block] | INVESTMENTS Investments. Our long-term investment portfolio includes the real estate assets of ALLETE Properties, debt and equity securities consisting primarily of securities held in other postretirement plans to fund employee benefits, the cash equivalents within these plans, and other assets consisting primarily of land in Minnesota.
Other Investments | March 31, 2013 |  |  | December 31, 2012 |
Millions |  |  |
ALLETE Properties |  | $91.1 |  |  |  | $91.1 |
Available-for-sale Securities | 20.1 |  |  | 26.8 |
Cash Equivalents | 22.7 |  |  | 20.7 |
Other | 4.7 |  |  | 4.9 |
Total Other Investments |  | $138.6 |  |  |  | $143.5 |
ALLETE Properties | March 31, 2013 |  |  | December 31, 2012 |
Millions |  |  |
Land Inventory Beginning Balance |  | $86.5 |  |  |  | $86.0 |
Deeds to Collateralized Property | — |  |  | 0.5 |
Cost of Sales | — |  |  | (0.2 | )
Capitalized Improvements and Other | 0.1 |  |  | 0.2 |
Land Inventory Ending Balance | 86.6 |  |  | 86.5 |
Long-Term Finance Receivables (net of allowances of $0.6 and $0.6) | 1.4 |  |  | 1.4 |
Other | 3.1 |  |  | 3.2 |
Total Real Estate Assets |  | $91.1 |  |  |  | $91.1 |
NOTE 3. INVESTMENTS (Continued) Land Inventory. Land inventory is accounted for as held for use and is recorded at cost, unless the carrying value is determined not to be recoverable in accordance with the accounting standards for property, plant and equipment, in which case the land inventory is written down to fair value. Land values are reviewed for impairment on a quarterly basis and no impairments were recorded for the quarter ended March 31, 2013 (none for the year ended December 31, 2012). Long-Term Finance Receivables. As of March 31, 2013, long-term finance receivables were $1.4 million net of allowance ($1.4 million net of allowance as of December 31, 2012). Long-term finance receivables are collateralized by property sold, accrue interest at market-based rates and are net of an allowance for doubtful accounts. As of March 31, 2013, we had an allowance for doubtful accounts of $0.6 million ($0.6 million as of December 31, 2012).

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- Definition The entire disclosure for investments, including all tables. + References Reference 1: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef -Publisher SEC -Name Regulation S-X (SX) -Number 210 -Article 6 -Section 10 -Paragraph (c) -Subparagraph (1) + Details
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- Details
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