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Short-Term and Long-Term Debt
 9 Months Ended
Sep. 30, 2014
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, 2014, total short-term debt outstanding was $88.0 million ($27.2 million as of December 31, 2013) and consisted of long-term debt due within one year and notes payable.

Long-Term Debt. As of September 30, 2014, total long-term debt outstanding was $1,289.2 million ($1,083.0 million as of December 31, 2013). In conjunction with ALLETE Clean Energy’s January 30, 2014 wind energy facilities acquisition, ALLETE Clean Energy assumed $23.3 million of long-term debt, including $2.2 million due within one year. (See Note 4. Acquisition.)

During the first nine months of 2014, we issued $375.0 million of ALLETE first mortgage bonds (Bonds) in the private placement market as shown below:

Issue Date
Maturity Date
Principal Amount
Interest Rate
March 4, 2014
March 15, 2024
$60 Million
3.69%
March 4, 2014
March 15, 2044
$40 Million
4.95%
June 26, 2014
July 15, 2022
$75 Million
3.40%
June 26, 2014
July 15, 2044
$40 Million
5.05%
September 16, 2014
September 15, 2021
$60 Million
3.02%
September 16, 2014
September 15, 2029
$50 Million
3.74%
September 16, 2014
September 15, 2044
$50 Million
4.39%

The Company has the option to prepay all or a portion of the Bonds at its discretion, subject to a make-whole provision; however, each series of bonds is redeemable at par, including, in each case, accrued and unpaid interest, six months prior to the maturity date. The Bonds are subject to additional terms and conditions which are customary for these types of transactions. The Company intends to use the proceeds from the sale of the Bonds to refinance debt, 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 institutional accredited investors.
NOTE 9.  SHORT-TERM AND LONG-TERM DEBT (Continued)

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, 2014, our ratio was approximately 0.47 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, 2014, ALLETE was in compliance with its financial covenants.