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Operations and Significant Accounting Policies (Tables) | 12 Months Ended
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Dec. 31, 2021
Organization, Consolidation and Presentation of Financial Statements [Abstract] |
Cash, Cash Equivalents and Restricted Cash [Table Text Block] |
Cash, Cash Equivalents and Restricted Cash |  |  |  |  |
As of December 31 | 2021 |  | 2020 |  | 2019
Millions |  |  |  |  |
Cash and Cash Equivalents | $45.1 |  |  | $44.3 |  |  | $69.3 |
Restricted Cash included in Prepayments and Other | 0.3 |  |  | 0.8 |  |  | 2.8 |
Restricted Cash included in Other Non-Current Assets | 2.3 |  |  | 20.1 |  |  | 20.4 |
Cash, Cash Equivalents and Restricted Cash on the Consolidated Statement of Cash Flows | $47.7 |  |  | $65.2 |  |  | $92.5 |
Supplemental Statement of Cash Flow Information [Table Text Block] | Supplemental Statement of Cash Flow Information.
Consolidated Statement of Cash Flows |  |  |  |
Year Ended December 31 | 2021 | 2020 | 2019 |
Millions |  |  |  |
Cash Paid During the Period for Interest – Net of Amounts Capitalized | $66.8 |  | $62.0 |  | $63.5 |  |
Recognition of Right-of-use Assets and Lease Liabilities (a) | — |  | — |  | 28.7 |  |
Noncash Investing and Financing Activities |  |  |  |
Increase (Decrease) in Accounts Payable for Capital Additions to Property, Plant and Equipment | $(14.0) | $(67.0) | $33.9 |  |
Reclassification of Redeemable Non-Controlling Interest to Current Liabilities (b) | $30.6 |  | — |  | — |  |
Capitalized Asset Retirement Costs | $16.9 |  | $4.1 |  | $20.7 |  |
AFUDC–Equity | $2.6 |  | $1.9 |  | $2.3 |  |
(a)Amount of the right-of-use asset and lease liability recognized with the adoption of an accounting standards update for leases. (b)Amount reclassified to Current Liabilities resulting from the exercise of an option to buy out a non-controlling interest.
Accounts Receivable [Table Text Block] |
Accounts Receivable |  |  |
As of December 31 | 2021 |  | 2020
Millions |  |  |
Trade Accounts Receivable |  |  |
Billed | $100.8 |  |  | $93.5 |
Unbilled | 24.7 |  |  | 20.9 |
Less: Allowance for Doubtful Accounts | 1.8 |  |  | 2.5 |
Total Accounts Receivable | $123.7 |  |  | $111.9 |
Inventories – Net [Table Text Block] |
Inventories – Net |  |  |
As of December 31 | 2021 |  | 2020
Millions |  |  |
Fuel (a) | $18.7 |  |  | $23.1 |
Materials and Supplies | 56.1 |  |  | 51.1 |
Construction of Wind Energy Facilities (b) | 22.9 |  |  | — |
Total Inventories – Net | $97.7 |  |  | $74.2 |
(a) Fuel consists primarily of coal inventory at Minnesota Power. (b) Project costs related to ALLETE Clean Energy’s Northern Wind and Red Barn wind projects which are expected be sold in late 2022 and 2023, respectively. (See Other Current Liabilities.)
Other Non-Current Assets [Table Text Block] |
Other Non-Current Assets |  |  |
As of December 31 | 2021 |  | 2020
Millions |  |  |
Contract Assets (a) | $23.3 |  |  | $25.5 |
Operating Lease Right-of-use Assets | 16.4 |  |  | 22.4 |
ALLETE Properties | 19.4 |  |  | 18.2 |
Restricted Cash | 2.3 |  |  | 20.1 |
Other Postretirement Benefit Plans | 64.8 |  |  | 34.2 |
Other | 87.5 |  |  | 86.4 |
Total Other Non-Current Assets | $213.7 |  |  | $206.8 |
(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.
Other Current Liabilities [Table Text Block] |
Other Current Liabilities |  |  |
As of December 31 | 2021 |  | 2020
Millions |  |  |
Customer Deposits (a) | $27.2 |  |  | $7.4 |
PSAs | 12.6 |  |  | 12.5 |
Manufactured Gas Plant (b) | 12.8 |  |  | — |
Fuel Adjustment Clause | 5.0 |  |  | 3.7 |
Operating Lease Liabilities | 4.8 |  |  | 5.9 |
Redeemable Non-Controlling Interest (c) | 30.6 |  |  | — |
Other | 40.0 |  |  | 37.2 |
Total Other Current Liabilities | $133.0 |  |  | $66.7 |
(a) Primarily related to deposits received by ALLETE Clean Energy for the Northern Wind and Red Barn wind projects which are expected be sold in late 2022 and 2023 respectively. (See Inventories – Net.) (b) The manufactured gas plant represents the current liability for remediation of a former manufactured gas plant site located in Superior, Wisconsin, and formerly operated by SWL&P. (See Note 8. Commitments, Guarantees and Contingencies.) (c) Amount reclassified from Non-Controlling Interest in Subsidiaries resulting from the exercise of an option to buy out a non-controlling interest, which was paid in the first quarter of 2022.
Other Non-Current Liabilities [Table Text Block] |
Other Non-Current Liabilities |  |  |
As of December 31 | 2021 |  | 2020
Millions |  |  |
Asset Retirement Obligation | $184.5 |  |  | $166.6 |
PSAs | 39.5 |  |  | 52.1 |
Operating Lease Liabilities | 11.6 |  |  | 16.5 |
Other | 45.2 |  |  | 50.1 |
Total Other Non-Current Liabilities | $280.8 |  |  | $285.3 |
Lease, Cost [Table Text Block] | Additional information on the components of lease cost and presentation of cash flows were as follows:
As December 31 | 2021 | 2020
Millions |  |
Operating Lease Cost | $6.7 |  | $8.3 |
Other Information: |  |
Operating Cash Flows From Operating Leases | $6.7 |  | $8.3 |
Additional information related to leases was as follows:
As of December 31 | 2021 | 2020
Millions |  |
Balance Sheet Information Related to Leases: |  |
Other Non-Current Assets | $16.4 | $22.4
Total Operating Lease Right-of-use Assets | $16.4 | $22.4
Other Current Liabilities | $4.8 | $5.9
Other Non-Current Liabilities | 11.6 | 16.5
Total Operating Lease Liabilities | $16.4 | $22.4
Weighted Average Remaining Lease Term (Years): |  |
Operating Leases - Vehicles and Equipment | 3 | 3
Operating Leases - Land and Other | 27 | 27
Weighted Average Discount Rate: |  |
Operating Leases - Vehicles and Equipment | 3.8 | % | 3.1 | %
Operating Leases - Land and Other | 4.5 | % | 4.1 | %
Lessee, Operating Lease, Liability, Maturity [Table Text Block] | Maturities of lease liabilities were as follows:
|  |  |  | December 31, 2021
Millions |  |  |  |
2022 |  |  |  | $5.1 |
2023 |  |  |  | 3.3 |
2024 |  |  |  | 3.0 |
2025 |  |  |  | 2.8 |
2026 |  |  |  | 2.8 |
Thereafter |  |  |  | 5.0 |
Total Lease Payments Due |  |  |  | 22.0 |
Less: Imputed Interest |  |  |  | 5.6 |
Total Lease Obligations |  |  |  | 16.4 |
Less: Current Lease Obligations |  |  |  | 4.8 |
Total Long-term Lease Obligations |  |  |  | $11.6 |
Other Income (Expense) - Other [Table Text Block] |
Other Income (Expense) - Other |  |  |
Year Ended December 31 | 2021 | 2020 | 2019
Millions |  |  |
Pension and Other Postretirement Benefit Plan Non-Service Credit (a) | $6.1 |  | $8.6 |  | $7.7 |
Interest and Investment Earnings | 2.3 |  | 1.6 |  | 4.4 |
AFUDC - Equity | 2.6 |  | 1.9 |  | 2.3 |
Gain on Land Sales | 0.1 |  | 0.4 |  | 2.1 |
Other | (2.4) |  | 2.2 |  | 2.2 |
Total Other Income (Expense) - Other | $8.7 |  | $14.7 |  | $18.7 |
(a)These are components of net periodic pension and other postretirement benefit cost other than service cost. (See Note 11. Pension and Other Postretirement Benefit Plans.)

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- Definition Tabular disclosure of lessee's lease cost. Includes, but is not limited to, interest expense for finance lease, amortization of right-of-use asset for finance lease, operating lease cost, short-term lease cost, variable lease cost and sublease income. + References Reference 1: http://www.xbrl.org/2009/role/commonPracticeRef -Publisher FASB -Name Accounting Standards Codification -Topic 842 -SubTopic 20 -Section 50 -Paragraph 4 -URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=123408670&loc=SL77918686-209980 + Details
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