SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION
WASHINGTON, DC 20549
FORM 8-K
CURRENT REPORT
Pursuant to Section 13 or 15(d) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934
DATE OF REPORT (DATE OF EARLIEST EVENT REPORTED) - September 10, 2001
ALLETE, Inc.
A Minnesota Corporation
Commission File No. 1-3548
IRS Employer Identification No. 41-0418150
30 West Superior Street
Duluth, Minnesota 55802-2093
Telephone - (218) 279-5000
ITEM 5. OTHER EVENTS.
Reference is made to the 2000 Form 10-K of ALLETE, Inc. (ALLETE) for background
information on the following update.
Ref. Page 43 - Tenth Paragraph
On September 10, 2001 ALLETE Water Services, Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of
ALLETE, received a letter from the Florida Governmental Utility Authority
(Authority) expressing interest in engaging in discussions regarding a potential
purchase by the Authority of all of the water, wastewater and water reuse assets
of Florida Water Services Corporation, a wholly owned subsidiary of ALLETE Water
Services. The Authority is an innovative home rule mechanism available under
Florida law enacted in 1999 permitting local governmental entities to join
together to acquire, finance, own and operate water or wastewater utilities.
ALLETE Water Services notified the Authority that, consistent with ALLETE's
stated goals to find new ways to maximize shareholder value, ALLETE would
explore the feasibility of such a transaction. ALLETE Water Services entered
into an agreement giving the Authority the exclusive opportunity until and
including December 21, 2001 to review a potential transaction. ALLETE is
evaluating strategic and financial alternatives with respect to all of its
various businesses.
ALLETE Form 8-K dated September 24, 2001 1
SAFE HARBOR STATEMENT
UNDER THE PRIVATE SECURITIES LITIGATION REFORM ACT OF 1995
In connection with the safe harbor provisions of the Private Securities
Litigation Reform Act of 1995, ALLETE is hereby filing cautionary statements
identifying important factors that could cause ALLETE's actual results to differ
materially from those projected in forward-looking statements (as that term is
defined in the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995) made by or on
behalf of ALLETE which are made in this Form 8-K, in presentations, in response
to questions or otherwise. Any statements that express, or involve discussions
as to, expectations, beliefs, plans, objectives, assumptions or future events or
performance (often, but not always, through the use of words or phrases such as
"anticipates," "believes," "estimates," "expects," "intends," "plans,"
"predicts," "projects," "will likely result," "will continue" or similar
expressions) are not statements of historical facts and may be forward-looking.
Forward-looking statements involve estimates, assumptions and uncertainties and
are qualified in their entirety by reference to, and are accompanied by, the
following important factors, which are difficult to predict, contain
uncertainties, are beyond the control of ALLETE and may cause actual results to
differ materially from those contained in forward-looking statements:
- prevailing governmental policies and regulatory actions, including those
of the United States Congress, state legislatures, the Federal Energy
Regulatory Commission, the Minnesota Public Utilities Commission, the
Florida Public Service Commission, the North Carolina Utilities
Commission, the Public Service Commission of Wisconsin and various county
regulators, about allowed rates of return, industry and rate structure,
acquisition and disposal of assets and facilities, operation and
construction of plant facilities, recovery of purchased power and capital
investments, and present or prospective wholesale and retail competition
(including but not limited to transmission costs);
- economic and geographic factors, including political and economic risks;
- changes in and compliance with environmental and safety laws and policies;
- weather conditions;
- population growth rates and demographic patterns;
- competition for retail and wholesale customers;
- pricing and transportation of commodities;
- market demand, including structural market changes;
- changes in tax rates or policies or in rates of inflation;
- changes in project costs;
- unanticipated changes in operating expenses and capital expenditures;
- capital market conditions;
- competition for new energy development opportunities; and
- legal and administrative proceedings (whether civil or criminal) and
settlements that influence the business and profitability of ALLETE.
Any forward-looking statement speaks only as of the date on which that statement
is made, and ALLETE undertakes no obligation to update any forward-looking
statement to reflect events or circumstances after the date on which that
statement is made or to reflect the occurrence of unanticipated events. New
factors emerge from time to time and it is not possible for management to
predict all of those factors, nor can it assess the impact of each of those
factors on the businesses of ALLETE or the extent to which any factor, or
combination of factors, may cause actual results to differ materially from those
contained in any forward-looking statement.
2 ALLETE Form 8-K dated September 24, 2001
SIGNATURES
Pursuant to the requirements of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, the
registrant has duly caused this report to be signed on its behalf by the
undersigned thereunto duly authorized.
ALLETE, Inc.
September 24, 2001 Mark A. Schober
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Mark A. Schober
Vice President and Controller
ALLETE Form 8-K dated September 24, 2001 3