ALLETE's second quarter earnings release and conference call August 5

DULUTH, Minn.—ALLETE, Inc. (NYSE:ALE) will announce its financial results for the
quarter ended June 30, 2009 with a news release scheduled to be issued before the market opens
on Wednesday, August 5, 2009.

Following the release, ALLETE Chairman and CEO Donald J. Shippar and Chief Financial
Officer Mark A. Schober 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 can listen to the conference by calling (719) 325-4775 or by listening to a
Webcast on ALLETE’s Web site, 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.

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