ALLETE Schedules Conference Call

ALLETE Schedules Conference CallDULUTH, Minn.--ALLETE, Inc. (NYSE:ALE) will hold a conference call on Friday, March 12, 2004 beginning at 10:00 a.m. Eastern time. Interested parties may listen to the conference by calling (913) 981-5547 or by listening to a Webcast on ALLETE's Web site at www.allete.com.

ALLETE Chairman David Gartzke will be joined on the call by ALLETE President and CEO Don Shippar and ALLETE Chief Financial Officer James Vizanko. The group will review ALLETE's strategy and earnings guidance for 2004.

ALLETE's corporate headquarters are located in Duluth, Minnesota. ALLETE's holdings include ADESA, the second largest wholesale vehicle auction network in North America; AFC, the leading provider of independent auto dealer financing; Minnesota Power, a low-cost electric utility that serves some of the largest industrial customers in the United States; and significant real estate holdings in Florida.

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.