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Operations and Significant Accounting Policies (Tables) | 12 Months Ended
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Dec. 31, 2018
Organization, Consolidation and Presentation of Financial Statements [Abstract] |
Cash, Cash Equivalents and Restricted Cash [Table Text Block] | The following table provides a reconciliation of cash, cash equivalents and restricted cash reported within the Consolidated Balance Sheet that aggregate to the amount presented in the Consolidated Statement of Cash Flows. During the first quarter of 2018, the Company updated the presentation of its Consolidated Statement of Cash Flows to include restricted cash with cash and cash equivalents when reconciling the beginning-of-period and end-of-period total amounts shown on the Consolidated Statement of Cash Flows. (See Recently Adopted Pronouncements - Statement of Cash Flows: Restricted Cash.)
Cash, Cash Equivalents and Restricted Cash | December 31, 2018 |  |  | December 31, 2017 |  |  | December 31, 2016 |
Millions |  |  |  |  |
Cash and Cash Equivalents |  | $69.1 |  |  |  | $98.9 |  |  |  | $27.5 |
Restricted Cash included in Prepayments and Other | 1.3 |  |  | 2.6 |  |  | 2.2 |
Restricted Cash included in Other Non-Current Assets | 8.6 |  |  | 8.6 |  |  | 8.6 |
Cash, Cash Equivalents and Restricted Cash on the Consolidated Statement of Cash Flows |  | $79.0 |  |  |  | $110.1 |  |  |  | $38.3 |
Supplemental Statement of Cash Flow Information [Table Text Block] | Supplemental Statement of Cash Flow Information.
Consolidated Statement of Cash Flows |  |  |
Year Ended December 31 | 2018 |  | 2017 |  | 2016 |
Millions |  |  |
Cash Paid During the Period for Interest – Net of Amounts Capitalized |  | $66.0 |  |  | $64.5 |  |  | $68.2 |
Remeasurement of Deferred Income Taxes Resulting from the TCJA |  |  |
Increase in Regulatory Assets | — |  | $80.9 | — |
Decrease in Investment in ATC | — |  | $(27.9) | — |
Decrease in Deferred Income Taxes | — |  | $(353.6) | — |
Increase in Regulatory Liabilities | — |  | $393.6 | — |
Noncash Investing and Financing Activities |  |  |
Increase (Decrease) in Accounts Payable for Capital Additions to Property, Plant and Equipment | $(0.1) | $67.2 | $(22.0)
Reclassification of Property, Plant and Equipment to Inventory (a) |  | $46.3 |  | — |  | — |
Capitalized Asset Retirement Costs | $14.2 | $(15.6) | $3.7
Camp Ripley Solar Financing | — |  | — |  |  | $15.0 |
AFUDC–Equity |  | $1.2 |  |  | $1.2 |  |  | $2.1 |
ALLETE Common Stock Contributed to Pension Plans | — |  |  | $13.5 |  | — |
ALLETE Common Stock Received for Land Inventory | — |  | — |  |  | $8.0 |
Long-Term Finance Receivable for Land Inventory | — |  | — |  |  | $12.0 |
(a) | On February 28, 2018, Montana-Dakota Utilities exercised its option to purchase the Thunder Spirit II wind energy facility upon completion, resulting in a $46.3 million reclassification from Property, Plant and Equipment – Net to Inventories – Net for project costs incurred in the prior year. On the Consolidated Statement of Cash Flows, the sale of the wind energy facility in the fourth quarter of 2018 resulted in Operating Activities – Inventories increasing by $46.3 million in 2018 due to the project costs incurred in the prior year.
Accounts Receivable [Table Text Block] |
Accounts Receivable |  |  |
As of December 31 | 2018 |  |  | 2017 |
Millions |  |  |
Trade Accounts Receivable |  |  |
Billed |  | $121.7 |  |  |  | $112.6 |
Unbilled | 24.4 |  |  | 24.6 |
Less: Allowance for Doubtful Accounts | 1.7 |  |  | 2.1 |
Total Accounts Receivable |  | $144.4 |  |  |  | $135.1 |
Inventories – Net [Table Text Block] |
Inventories – Net |  |  |
As of December 31 | 2018 |  |  | 2017 |
Millions |  |  |
Fuel (a) |  | $26.0 |  |  |  | $34.8 |
Materials and Supplies | 44.2 |  |  | 46.5 |
Raw Materials | 2.8 |  |  | 2.8 |
Work in Progress | 6.1 |  |  | 4.2 |
Finished Goods | 8.4 |  |  | 8.3 |
Reserve for Obsolescence | (0.8 | ) |  | (0.7 | )
Total Inventories – Net |  | $86.7 |  |  |  | $95.9 |
(a) | Fuel consists primarily of coal inventory at Minnesota Power.
Other Non-Current Assets [Table Text Block] |
Other Non-Current Assets |  |  |
As of December 31 | 2018 |  |  | 2017 |
Millions |  |  |
Contract Assets (a) |  | $30.7 |  |  |  | $31.6 |
Finance Receivable (b) | 10.4 |  |  | 11.0 |
Other | 62.2 |  |  | 65.1 |
Total Other Non-Current Assets |  | $103.3 |  |  |  | $107.7 |
(a) | Contract Assets include payments made to customers as an incentive to execute or extend service agreements. The contract payments are being amortized over the term of the respective agreements as a reduction to revenue.
(b) | Finance Receivable reflects the remaining balance due from the ALLETE Properties sale of its Ormond Crossings project and Lake Swamp wetland mitigation bank.
Other Current Liabilities [Table Text Block] |
Other Current Liabilities |  |  |
As of December 31 | 2018 |  |  | 2017 |
Millions |  |  |
Provision for Interim Rate Refund |  | $40.0 |  |  | — |
PSAs | 12.6 |  |  |  | $24.5 |
Contract Liabilities (a) | 7.6 |  |  | 8.7 |
Provision for Tax Reform Refund | 10.7 |  |  | — |
Contingent Consideration (b) | 3.8 |  |  | — |
Other | 53.8 |  |  | 50.0 |
Total Other Current Liabilities |  | $128.5 |  |  |  | $83.2 |
(a) | Contract Liabilities include deposits received as a result of entering into contracts with our customers prior to completing our performance obligations.
(b) | Contingent Consideration relates to the estimated fair value of the earnings-based payment resulting from the U.S. Water Services acquisition. (See Note 9. Fair Value.)
Other Non-Current Liabilities [Table Text Block] |
Other Non-Current Liabilities |  |  |
As of December 31 | 2018 |  |  | 2017 |
Millions |  |  |
Asset Retirement Obligation |  | $138.6 |  |  |  | $122.7 |
PSAs | 76.9 |  |  | 89.5 |
Contingent Consideration (a) | — |  |  | 5.4 |
Other | 47.1 |  |  | 49.5 |
Total Other Non-Current Liabilities |  | $262.6 |  |  |  | $267.1 |
(a) | Contingent Consideration relates to the estimated fair value of the earnings-based payment resulting from the U.S. Water Services acquisition. (See Note 9. Fair Value.)
Operating Expenses – Other [Table Text Block] |
Operating Expenses – Other |  |  |
Year Ended December 31 | 2018 |  | 2017 |  | 2016 |
Millions |  |  |  |
Impairment of Goodwill (a) | — |  | — |  |  | $3.3 |
Change in Fair Value of Contingent Consideration (b) | $(2.0) | $(0.7) | (13.6 | )
Total Operating Expenses – Other | $(2.0) | $(0.7) | $(10.3)
(a) | See Goodwill and Intangible Assets.
(b) | See Note 9. Fair Value.

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