| NEWS                   |                   | Exhibit      99 |
|------------------------|------------------------|-----------------|
| For      Release:      | February      12, 2010 |
| Investor      Contact: | Tim      Thorp         |
|                   | 218-723-3953           |
|                   | tthorp@allete.com      |
|                   |                   |
|                   |                   |
|                   |                   |
|                   |                   |
|                   |                   |

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|                                                                   |                                                |                              | Quarter      Ended | Year      to Date |
|------------------------------------------------------------------------|-----------------------------------------------------|-----------------------------------|--------------------|-------------------|
|                                                                   |                                                |                              | 2009               | 2008              | 2009 | 2008 |
| Operating      Revenue                                                 |                                                |                              |               |              |
|                                                                   | Operating      Revenue                              | $216.0                            | $196.1             | $766.7            | $801.0 |
|                                                                   | Prior      Year Rate Refunds                        | –                           | –            | (7.6)             | – |
|                                                                   | Total      Operating Revenue                        | 216.0                             | 196.1              | 759.1             | 801.0 |
|                                                                   |                                                |                              |               |              |
| Operating      Expenses                                                |                                                |                              |               |              |
|                                                                   | Fuel      and Purchased Power                       | 80.1                              | 63.3               | 279.5             | 305.6 |
|                                                                   | Operating      and Maintenance                      | 84.2                              | 76.6               | 308.9             | 318.1 |
|                                                                   | Depreciation                                        | 17.9                              | 16.4               | 64.7              | 55.5 |
|                                                                   |                                                | Total      Operating Expenses     | 182.2              | 156.3             | 653.1 | 679.2 |
| Operating      Income                                                  | 33.8                                                | 39.8                              | 106.0              | 121.8             |
| Other      Income (Expense)                                            |                                                |                              |               |              |
|                                                                   | Interest      Expense                               | (8.4)                             | (6.8)              | (33.8)            | (26.3) |
|                                                                   | Equity      Earnings in ATC                         | 4.6                               | 4.1                | 17.5              | 15.3 |
|                                                                   | Other                                               | (2.0)                             | 1.7                | 1.8               | 15.6 |
|                                                                   |                                                | Total      Other Income (Expense) | (5.8)              | (1.0)             | (14.5) | 4.6 |
|                                                                   |                                                |                              |               |              |
| Income      Before Non-Controlling Interest and  IncomeTaxes | 28.0                                                | 38.8                              | 91.5               | 126.4             |
| Income      Tax Expense                                                | 9.3                                                 | 15.1                              | 30.8               | 43.4              |
| Net      Income                                                        | 18.7                                                | 23.7                              | 60.7               | 83.0              |
|                                                                   | Less:      Non-Controlling Interest in Subsidiaries | –                           | 0.2                | (0.3)             | 0.5 |
| Net      Income Attributable to ALLETE                                 | $18.7                                               | $23.5                             | $61.0              | $82.5             |
|                                                                   |                                                |                              |               |              |
| Average      Shares of Common Stock                                    |                                                |                              |               |              |
|                                                                   | Basic                                               | 33.4                              | 30.1               | 32.2              | 29.2 |
|                                                                   | Diluted                                             | 33.5                              | 30.2               | 32.2              | 29.3 |
|                                                                   |                                                |                              |               |              |   |
| Basic      and Diluted Earnings Per Share of Common Stock              | $0.56                                               | $0.78                             | $1.89              | $2.82             |
|                                                                   |                                                |                              |               |              |
| Dividends      Per Share of Common Stock                               | $0.44                                               | $0.43                             | $1.76              | $1.72             |

|                                 | Dec.      31, | Dec.      31, |   |                                                    | Dec.      31, | Dec.      31, |
|--------------------------------------|---------------|---------------|--------|---------------------------------------------------------|---------------|---------------|
|                                 | 2009          | 2008          |   |                                                    | 2009          | 2008          |
| Assets                               |          |          |   | Liabilities      and Equity                             |          |          |
| Cash      and Short-Term Investments | $25.7         | $102.0        |   | Current      Liabilities                                | $133.1        | $150.7        |
| Other      Current Assets            | 199.8         | 150.3         |   | Long-Term      Debt                                     | 695.8         | 588.3         |
| Property,      Plant and Equipment   | 1,622.7       | 1,387.3       |   | Other      Liabilities                                  | 372.1         | 389.3         |
| Investment      in ATC               | 88.4          | 76.9          |   | Deferred      Income Taxes & Investment Tax Credits | 253.1         | 169.6         |
| Investments                          | 130.5         | 136.9         |   | Equity                                                  | 939.0         | 836.9         |
| Other                                | 326.0         | 281.4         |   |                                                    |          |          |
| Total      Assets                    | $2,393.1      | $2,134.8      |   | Total      Liabilities and Equity                       | $2,393.1      | $2,134.8      |

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|                            |                                   | Quarter      Ended | Year      to Date |
|---------------------------------|----------------------------------------|--------------------|-------------------|
| ALLETE,      Inc.               |                                   | December      31,  | December      31, |
| Income      (Loss)              |                                   | 2009               | 2008              | 2009 | 2008 |
| Millions                        |                                   |               |              |   |   |   |   |
|                            | Regulated      Operations              | $20.9              | $21.4             | $65.9 | $67.9 |
|                            | Investments      and Other             | (2.2)              | 2.1               | (4.9) | 14.6 |
|                            | Net      Income Attributable to ALLETE |               | $18.7             | $23.5 | $61.0 | $82.5 |
| Diluted      Earnings Per Share | $0.56                                  | $0.78              | $1.89             | $2.82 |

| Statistical      Data |              |   |   |   |   |
|-----------------------|-------------------|--------|--------|--------|--------|
| Corporate             |              |   |   |   |   |   |
|                  | Common      Stock |   |   |   |   |
|                  |              | High   |   | $35.29 | $44.63 | $35.29 | $49.00 |
|                  |              | Low    |   | $32.23 | $28.28 | $23.35 | $28.28 |
|                  |              | Close  |   | $32.68 | $32.27 | $32.68 | $32.27 |
|                  | Book      Value   |   | $26.39 | $25.37 | $26.39 | $25.37 |

| Kilowatt-hours      Sold |                                 |                       |        |                            |
|--------------------------|--------------------------------------|----------------------------|-------------|---------------------------------|
| Millions                 |                                 |                       |        |                            |   |   |
|                     | Regulated      Utility               |                       |        |                            |   |
|                     |                                 | Retail      and Municipals |        |                            |   |   |
|                     |                                 |                       | Residential | 308                             | 318 | 1,164 | 1,172 |
|                     |                                 |                       | Commercial  | 358                             | 365 | 1,420 | 1,454 |
|                     |                                 |                       | Municipals  | 262                             | 259 | 992 | 1,002 |
|                     |                                 |                       | Industrial  | 1,294                           | 1,726 | 4,475 | 7,192 |
|                     |                                 |                       |        | Total      Retail and Municipal | 2,222 | 2,668 | 8,051 | 10,820 |
|                     |                                 | Other      Power Suppliers | 981         | 556                             | 4,056 | 1,800 |
|                     |                                 |                       |        | Total      Regulated Utility    | 3,203 | 3,224 | 12,107 | 12,620 |
|                     | Non-regulated      Energy Operations | 41                         | 48          | 203                             | 217 |
|                     |                                 |                       |        | Total      Kilowatt-hours Sold  | 3,244 | 3,272 | 12,310 | 12,837 |
|                     |                                 |                       |        |                            |   |   |   |   |

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