ALLETE Second Quarter Earnings Release, Conference Call Scheduled July 29

DULUTH, Minn.--ALLETE, Inc. (NYSE:ALE) will announce its financial results for the quarter ended June 30, 2005 with a news release scheduled to be issued before the market opens on Friday, July 29, 2005.

Following the release, ALLETE President and CEO Donald J. Shippar and Chief Financial Officer James K. Vizanko will present an overview of results and discuss other factors affecting performance during a conference call beginning at 10 a.m. Eastern time.

Interested parties may listen to the conference by calling (719) 955-1565 or by listening to a Webcast on ALLETE's Web site, www.allete.com.

ALLETE's corporate headquarters are located in Duluth, Minnesota. ALLETE provides energy services in the upper Midwest and has significant real estate holdings in Florida. More information about the company is available on ALLETE's Web site at www.allete.com.

The statements contained in this release and statements that ALLETE may make orally in connection with this release that are not historical facts, are forward-looking statements. Actual results may differ materially from those projected in the forward-looking statements. These forward-looking statements involve risks and uncertainties, and investors are directed to the risks discussed in documents filed by ALLETE with the Securities and Exchange Commission.

Contact:
Eric Olson
218-723-3947
eolson@allete.com

Investor Contact:
Tim Thorp
218-723-3953
tthorp@allete.com