Exhibit 23(a)
Consent of Independent Registered Public Accounting Firm
We hereby consent to the incorporation by reference in this Registration Statement on Form S-8 of our report dated February 13, 2009, except for the “ATC Summarized Financial Data” section of Note 5, as to which the date is February 26, 2009, relating to the consolidated financial statements, financial statement schedule and the effectiveness of internal control over financial reporting, which appears in ALLETE, Inc.’s Annual Report on Form 10-K/A for the year ended December 31, 2008. We also consent to the references to us under the heading “Interests of Named Experts and Counsel” in such Registration Statement.
/s/ PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP
PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP
Minneapolis, Minnesota
November 4, 2009