XML 28 R15.htm IDEA: XBRL DOCUMENT
v3.5.0.2

Investment in ATC | 9 Months Ended
--- | ---
Sep. 30, 2016
Equity Method Investments and Joint Ventures [Abstract] |
Investment in ATC [Text Block] | INVESTMENT IN ATC Our wholly-owned subsidiary, ALLETE Transmission Holdings, owns approximately 8 percent of ATC, a Wisconsin-based utility that owns and maintains electric transmission assets in parts of Wisconsin, Michigan, Minnesota and Illinois. We account for our investment in ATC under the equity method of accounting. As of September 30, 2016, our equity investment in ATC was $133.8 million ($124.5 million at December 31, 2015). In the first nine months of 2016, we invested $3.5 million in ATC, and on October 28, 2016, we invested an additional $1.9 million. We do not expect to make any additional investments in 2016.
ALLETE’s Investment in ATC |
Millions |
Equity Investment Balance as of December 31, 2015 |  | $124.5 |
Cash Investments | 3.5 |
Equity in ATC Earnings | 15.0 |
Distributed ATC Earnings | (9.2 | )
Equity Investment Balance as of September 30, 2016 |  | $133.8 |
NOTE 7. INVESTMENT IN ATC (Continued) On September 28, 2016, the FERC issued an order reducing ATC’s authorized return on equity to 10.82 percent, including an incentive adder for participation in a regional transmission organization. Prior to this order, ATC had been allowed a return on equity of 12.2 percent which had been impacted by reductions for estimated refunds related to complaints filed with the FERC by several customers located within the MISO service area. On June 30, 2016, a federal administrative law judge ruled on an additional complaint proposing a further reduction in the base return on equity to 9.70 percent, subject to approval or adjustment by the FERC. A final decision from the FERC on the administrative law judge’s recommendation is expected in 2017. (See Note 6. Regulatory Matters.) We own approximately 8 percent of ATC and estimate that for every 50 basis point reduction in ATC’s allowed return on equity our equity earnings in ATC would be impacted annually by approximately $0.5 million after-tax ($0.9 million pre-tax).

X
- References No definition available. + Details
Name: | us-gaap_EquityMethodInvestmentsAndJointVenturesAbstract
Namespace Prefix: | us-gaap_
Data Type: | xbrli:stringItemType
Balance Type: | na
Period Type: | duration

X
- Definition The entire disclosure for equity method investments and joint ventures. Equity method investments are investments that give the investor the ability to exercise significant influence over the operating and financial policies of an investee. Joint ventures are entities owned and operated by a small group of businesses as a separate and specific business or project for the mutual benefit of the members of the group. + References Reference 1: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef -Publisher FASB -Name Accounting Standards Codification -Topic 323 -SubTopic 10 -Section 50 -Paragraph 3 -URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=66011266&loc=d3e33918-111571 Reference 2: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef -Publisher FASB -Name Accounting Standards Codification -Topic 323 -SubTopic 10 -Section 35 -Paragraph 35 -URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=64825282&loc=d3e32847-111569 Reference 3: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef -Publisher FASB -Name Accounting Standards Codification -Topic 210 -SubTopic 10 -Section S99 -Paragraph 1 -Subparagraph (SX 210.5-02.12) -URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=6877327&loc=d3e13212-122682 Reference 4: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef -Publisher FASB -Name Accounting Standards Codification -Topic 323 -SubTopic 10 -Section 35 -Paragraph 32 -URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=64825282&loc=d3e32787-111569 + Details
Name: | us-gaap_EquityMethodInvestmentsDisclosureTextBlock
Namespace Prefix: | us-gaap_
Data Type: | nonnum:textBlockItemType
Balance Type: | na
Period Type: | duration