|  NEWS   |                        | Exhibit      99 |
|------------------------|-----------------------------|-----------------|
| For      Release:      | May      1, 2009            |
| Investor      Contact: | Tim      Thorp              |
|                   | 218-723-3953                |
|                   | tthorp@allete.com           |
|                   |                        |
| Contact:               | Amy      Rutledge           |
|                   | Communications      Manager |
|                   | 218-723-7400                |
|                   | 218-348-2961                |
|                   | arutledge@mnpower.com       |
|                   |                        |

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|                                                      |                           |                              | Quarter      Ended |
|-----------------------------------------------------------|--------------------------------|-----------------------------------|--------------------|
|                                                      |                           |                              | 2009               | 2008 |
| Operating      Revenue                                    |                           |                              |
|                                                      | Operating      Revenue         | $204.9                            | $213.4             |
|                                                      | Prior      Year Rate Refunds   | (5.3)                             | –            |
|                                                      | Total      Operating Revenue   | 199.6                             | 213.4              |
|                                                      |                           |                              |
| Operating      Expenses                                   |                           |                              |
|                                                      | Fuel      and Purchased Power  | 72.8                              | 86.3               |
|                                                      | Operating      and Maintenance | 80.5                              | 83.1               |
|                                                      | Depreciation                   | 15.2                              | 12.7               |
|                                                      |                           | Total      Operating Expenses     | 168.5              | 182.1 |
| Operating      Income from Continuing Operations          | 31.1                           | 31.3                              |
| Other      Income (Expense)                               |                           |                              |
|                                                      | Interest      Expense          | (8.7)                             | (6.0)              |
|                                                      | Equity      Earnings in ATC    | 4.2                               | 3.4                |
|                                                      | Other                          | 1.1                               | 8.6                |
|                                                      |                           | Total      Other Income (Expense) | (3.4)              | 6.0 |
|                                                      |                           |                              |
| Income      Before Income Taxes                           | 27.7                           | 37.3                              |
| Income      Tax Expense                                   | 10.8                           | 13.7                              |
| Net      Income                                           | $16.9                          | $23.6                             |
|                                                      |                           |                              |               |   |
| Average      Shares of Common Stock                       |                           |                              |
|                                                      | Basic                          | 30.9                              | 28.7               |
|                                                      | Diluted                        | 31.0                              | 28.7               |
|                                                      |                           |                              |               |
| Basic      and Diluted Earnings Per Share of Common Stock | $0.55                          | $0.82                             |
|                                                      |                           |                              |
| Dividends      Per Share of Common Stock                  | $0.44                          | $0.43                             |

|                                 | Mar.      31, |     Dec.      31, |   |                                                    | Mar.      31, | Dec.      31, |
|--------------------------------------|---------------|---------------------------------------|--------|---------------------------------------------------------|---------------|---------------|
|                                 | 2009          |     2008          |   |                                                    | 2009          | 2008          |
| Assets                               |          |                                  |   | Liabilities      and Shareholders' Equity               |          |          |
| Cash      and Short-Term Investments | $98.0         | $102.0                                |   | Current      Liabilities                                | $137.3        | $150.7        |
| Other      Current Assets            | 145.9         | 150.3                                 |   | Long-Term      Debt                                     | 627.1         | 588.3         |
| Property,      Plant and Equipment   | 1,435.2       | 1,387.3                               |   | Other      Liabilities                                  | 363.9         | 389.3         |
| Investment      in ATC               | 79.7          | 76.9                                  |   | Deferred      Income Taxes & Investment Tax Credits | 182.2         | 169.6         |
| Investments                          | 127.3         | 136.9                                 |   | Shareholders'      Equity                               | 858.4         | 836.9         |
| Other                                | 282.8         | 281.4                                 |   |                                                    |          |          |
| Total      Assets                    | $2,168.9      | $2,134.8                              |   | Total      Liabilities and Shareholders' Equity         | $2,168.9      | $2,134.8      |

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|                            |                       |   |   |  Quarter EndedMarch 31, |
|---------------------------------|----------------------------|--------|--------|------------------------------|
| ALLETE,      Inc.               |                       | 2009   | 2008   |
| Income      (Loss)              |                       |   |   |
| Millions                        |                       |   |   |                         |   |
|                            | Regulated      Operations  | $17.7  | $20.1  |
|                            | Investments      and Other | (0.8)  | 3.5    |
|                            | Net      Income            |   | $16.9  | $23.6                        |
| Diluted      Earnings Per Share | $0.55                      | $0.82  |

| Statistical      Data |              |   |   |
|-----------------------|-------------------|--------|--------|
| Corporate             |              |   |   |   |
|                  | Common      Stock |   |   |
|                  |              | High   |   | $33.27 | $39.86 |
|                  |              | Low    |   | $23.35 | $33.76 |
|                  |              | Close  |   | $26.69 | $38.62 |
|                  | Book      Value   |   | $25.59 | $24.36 |

| Kilowatt-hours      Sold |                                     |                                     |
|--------------------------|------------------------------------------|------------------------------------------|
| Millions                 |                                     |                                     |   |   |   |
|                     | Regulated      Utility                   |                                     |   |
|                     |                                     | Retail      and Municipals               |   |   |
|                     |                                     |                                     | Residential | 375 | 363 |
|                     |                                     |                                     | Commercial | 379 | 382 |
|                     |                                     |                                     | Municipals | 265 | 273 |
|                     |                                     |                                     | Industrial | 1,323 | 1,823 |
|                     |                                     |                                     |   | Total      Retail and Municipal | 2,342 | 2,841 |
|                     |                                     | Other      Power Suppliers               | 916 | 404 |
|                     |                                     |                                     |   | Total      Regulated Utility | 3,258 | 3,245 |
|                     | Non-regulated      Energy Operations     | 57                                       | 48 |
|                     |                                     |                                     |   | Total      Kilowatt-hours Sold | 3,315 | 3,293 |
|                     |                                     |                                     |   |   |   |   |
| Real      Estate         |                                     |                                     |   |   |
|                     | Town      Center Development Project     |                                     |   |
|                     |                                     | Non-residential      Square Footage Sold | – | – |
|                     |                                     | Residential      Units                   | – | – |
|                     |                                     |                                     |   |   |   |   |
|                     | Palm      Coast Park Development Project |                                     |   |
|                     |                                     | Non-residential      Square Footage Sold | – | – |
|                     |                                     | Residential      Units                   | – | – |
|                     |                                     |                                     |   |   |   |   |
|                     | Other      Land                          |                                     |   |   |
|                     |                                     | Acres      Sold                          | 19 | 2 |

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