| NEWS                   |                  | Exhibit 99  |
|------------------------|-----------------------|------------------|
|                   |                  |
| For      Release:      | August      5, 2009   |
| Investor      Contact: | Tim      Thorp        |
|                   | 218-723-3953          |
|                   | tthorp@allete.com     |
|                   |                  |
| Contact:               | Amy      Rutledge     |
|                   | 218-723-7400          |
|                   | 218-348-2961          |
|                   | arutledge@mnpower.com |
|                   |                  |

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|                                                                   |                                                |                              | Quarter      Ended | Year      to Date |
|------------------------------------------------------------------------|-----------------------------------------------------|-----------------------------------|--------------------|-------------------|
|                                                                   |                                                |                              | 2009               | 2008              | 2009 | 2008 |
| Operating      Revenue                                                 |                                                |                              |               |              |
|                                                                   | Operating      Revenue                              | $167.0                            | $189.8             | $371.9            | $403.2 |
|                                                                   | Prior      Year Rate Refunds                        | (2.3)                             | –            | (7.6)             | – |
|                                                                   | Total      Operating Revenue                        | 164.7                             | 189.8              | 364.3             | 403.2 |
|                                                                   |                                                |                              |               |              |
| Operating      Expenses                                                |                                                |                              |               |              |
|                                                                   | Fuel      and Purchased Power                       | 56.8                              | 75.0               | 129.6             | 161.3 |
|                                                                   | Operating      and Maintenance                      | 76.7                              | 84.4               | 157.2             | 167.5 |
|                                                                   | Depreciation                                        | 15.5                              | 12.9               | 30.7              | 25.6 |
|                                                                   |                                                | Total      Operating Expenses     | 149.0              | 172.3             | 317.5 | 354.4 |
| Operating      Income                                                  | 15.7                                                | 17.5                              | 46.8               | 48.8              |
| Other      Income (Expense)                                            |                                                |                              |               |              |
|                                                                   | Interest      Expense                               | (8.4)                             | (6.6)              | (17.1)            | (12.6) |
|                                                                   | Equity      Earnings in ATC                         | 4.3                               | 3.6                | 8.5               | 7.0 |
|                                                                   | Other                                               | 1.9                               | 2.5                | 3.0               | 11.1 |
|                                                                   |                                                | Total      Other Income (Expense) | (2.2)              | (0.5)             | (5.6) | 5.5 |
|                                                                   |                                                |                              |               |              |
| Income      Before Non-Controlling Interest and  IncomeTaxes | 13.5                                                | 17.0                              | 41.2               | 54.3              |
| Income      Tax Expense                                                | 4.2                                                 | 6.2                               | 15.0               | 19.9              |
| Net      Income                                                        | 9.3                                                 | 10.8                              | 26.2               | 34.4              |
|                                                                   | Less:      Non-Controlling Interest in Subsidiaries | (0.1)                             | 0.1                | (0.1)             | 0.1 |
| Net      Income Attributable to ALLETE                                 | $9.4                                                | $10.7                             | $26.3              | $34.3             |
|                                                                   |                                                |                              |               |              |
| Average      Shares of Common Stock                                    |                                                |                              |               |              |
|                                                                   | Basic                                               | 31.8                              | 28.8               | 31.3              | 28.7 |
|                                                                   | Diluted                                             | 31.8                              | 28.9               | 31.4              | 28.8 |
|                                                                   |                                                |                              |               |              |   |
| Basic      and Diluted Earnings Per Share of Common Stock              | $0.29                                               | $0.37                             | $0.84              | $1.19             |
|                                                                   |                                                |                              |               |              |
| Dividends      Per Share of Common Stock                               | $0.44                                               | $0.43                             | $0.88              | $0.86             |

|                                 | Jun.      30, | Dec.      31, |   |                                                    | Jun.      30, | Dec.      31, |
|--------------------------------------|---------------|---------------|--------|---------------------------------------------------------|---------------|---------------|
|                                 | 2009          | 2008          |   |                                                    | 2009          | 2008          |
| Assets                               |          |          |   | Liabilities      and Equity                             |          |          |
| Cash      and Short-Term Investments | $72.4         | $102.0        |   | Current      Liabilities                                | $145.9        | $150.7        |
| Other      Current Assets            | 160.0         | 150.3         |   | Long-Term      Debt                                     | 627.2         | 588.3         |
| Property,      Plant and Equipment   | 1,481.7       | 1,387.3       |   | Other      Liabilities                                  | 360.4         | 389.3         |
| Investment      in ATC               | 82.1          | 76.9          |   | Deferred      Income Taxes & Investment Tax Credits | 199.3         | 169.6         |
| Investments                          | 135.6         | 136.9         |   | Equity                                                  | 884.8         | 836.9         |
| Other                                | 285.8         | 281.4         |   |                                                    |          |          |
| Total      Assets                    | $2,217.6      | $2,134.8      |   | Total      Liabilities and Equity                       | $2,217.6      | $2,134.8      |

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|                            |                                   | Quarter      Ended | Year      to Date |
|---------------------------------|----------------------------------------|--------------------|-------------------|
|                            |                                   | June      30,      | June      30,     |
| ALLETE,      Inc.               |                                   | 2009               | 2008              | 2009 | 2008 |
| Income      (Loss)              |                                   |               |              |   |   |
| Millions                        |                                   |               |              |   |   |   |   |
|                            | Regulated      Operations              | $10.7              | $7.2              | $28.4 | $27.3 |
|                            | Investments      and Other             | (1.3)              | 3.5               | (2.1) | 7.0 |
|                            | Net      Income Attributable to ALLETE |               | $9.4              | $10.7 | $26.3 | $34.3 |
| Diluted      Earnings Per Share | $0.29                                  | $0.37              | $0.84             | $1.19 |

| Statistical      Data |              |   |   |   |   |
|-----------------------|-------------------|--------|--------|--------|--------|
| Corporate             |              |   |   |   |   |   |
|                  | Common      Stock |   |   |   |   |
|                  |              | High   |   | $29.14 | $46.11 | $33.27 | $46.11 |
|                  |              | Low    |   | $24.45 | $38.82 | $23.35 | $33.76 |
|                  |              | Close  |   | $28.75 | $42.00 | $28.75 | $42.00 |
|                  | Book      Value   |   | $25.66 | $24.51 | $25.66 | $24.51 |

| Kilowatt-hours      Sold |                                 |                       |        |                            |
|--------------------------|--------------------------------------|----------------------------|-------------|---------------------------------|
| Millions                 |                                 |                       |        |                            |   |   |
|                     | Regulated      Utility               |                       |        |                            |   |
|                     |                                 | Retail      and Municipals |        |                            |   |   |
|                     |                                 |                       | Residential | 242                             | 239 | 617 | 602 |
|                     |                                 |                       | Commercial  | 331                             | 327 | 709 | 709 |
|                     |                                 |                       | Municipals  | 222                             | 227 | 487 | 499 |
|                     |                                 |                       | Industrial  | 874                             | 1,789 | 2,197 | 3,612 |
|                     |                                 |                       |        | Total      Retail and Municipal | 1,669 | 2,582 | 4,010 | 5,422 |
|                     |                                 | Other      Power Suppliers | 1,107       | 375                             | 2,024 | 779 |
|                     |                                 |                       |        | Total      Regulated Utility    | 2,776 | 2,957 | 6,034 | 6,201 |
|                     | Non-regulated      Energy Operations | 49                         | 59          | 106                             | 109 |
|                     |                                 |                       |        | Total      Kilowatt-hours Sold  | 2,825 | 3,016 | 6,140 | 6,310 |
|                     |                                 |                       |        |                            |   |   |   |   |

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