ALLETE Schedules First Quarter Earnings Release and Conference Call

ALLETE Schedules First Quarter Earnings Release and Conference Call DULUTH, MN - April 3, 2001 - ALLETE (NYSE:ALE), a multi-services company with operations across North America, will announce its first quarter financial results for the quarter ended March 31, 2001 before the market opens on Wednesday, April 18.

Following the release, ALLETE President and Chief Executive Officer Edwin Russell and Chief Financial Officer David Gartzke will present an overview of results and other factors affecting financial performance during a conference call beginning at 10 a.m. Eastern Daylight Time.

Interested parties may listen to the call by calling (913) 981-5547 or by listening to a webcast on ALLETE's website 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.