EXHIBIT 31(b)



      RULE 13a-14(a)/15d-14(a) CERTIFICATION BY THE CHIEF FINANCIAL OFFICER
            PURSUANT TO SECTION 302 OF THE SARBANES-OXLEY ACT OF 2002



   I, James K. Vizanko, Senior Vice  President and Chief  Financial  Officer  of
   ALLETE, Inc. (ALLETE), certify that:

1. I have reviewed this annual report on  Form 10-K for the year  ended December
   31, 2004 of ALLETE;

2. Based on my knowledge, this report does not contain any untrue statement of a
   material  fact  or  omit  to  state  a  material  fact  necessary to make the
   statements made, in light of the  circumstances  under which such  statements
   were made, not misleading with respect to the period covered by this report;

3. Based  on  my  knowledge,  the  financial  statements,  and  other  financial
   information included in this report, fairly present in all  material respects
   the  financial  condition,  results  of  operations  and  cash  flows  of the
   registrant as of, and for, the periods presented in this report;

4. The  registrant's  other  certifying  officer  and  I  are   responsible  for
   establishing and maintaining disclosure  controls and procedures (as  defined
   in Exchange  Act  Rules 13a-15(e)  and  15d-15(e))  and internal control over
   financial  reporting   (as  defined  in  Exchange  Act  Rules  13a-15(f)  and
   15d-15(f)) for the registrant and have:

   a. Designed  such  disclosure  controls   and  procedures,  or   caused  such
      disclosure controls and procedures to be designed  under our  supervision,
      to ensure that material information  relating to the registrant, including
      its consolidated subsidiaries, is made  known to us by others within those
      entities, particularly  during the  period in  which this  report is being
      prepared;

   b. Designed such internal  control over financial  reporting, or caused  such
      internal  control  over  financial  reporting  to be  designed  under  our
      supervision, to provide reasonable assurance  regarding the reliability of
      financial  reporting  and  the preparation  of  financial  statements  for
      external  purposes  in  accordance  with   generally  accepted  accounting
      principles;

   c. Evaluated the  effectiveness of the  registrant's disclosure  controls and
      procedures  and  presented  in  this  report  our  conclusions  about  the
      effectiveness of the disclosure controls and  procedures, as of the end of
      the period covered by this report based on such evaluation; and

   d. Disclosed in this  report any  change in the registrant's internal control
      over financial reporting that occurred during the registrant's most recent
      fiscal quarter (the  registrant's fourth fiscal quarter  in the case of an
      annual report) that has  materially  affected, or is reasonably  likely to
      materially  affect,  the  registrant's  internal  control  over  financial
      reporting; and

5. The registrant's other certifying officer and I have disclosed,  based on our
   most recent evaluation of internal  control over  financial reporting, to the
   registrant's auditors and the audit  committee of the  registrant's  board of
   directors (or persons performing the equivalent functions):

   a. All  significant deficiencies  and material  weaknesses  in the  design or
      operation  of  internal   control  over   financial  reporting  which  are
      reasonably likely to adversely affect the  registrant's ability to record,
      process, summarize and report financial information; and

   b. Any fraud,  whether or not  material,  that  involves  management or other
      employees  who  have  a  significant  role in  the  registrant's  internal
      control over financial reporting.


Date: February 10, 2005        James K. Vizanko
                               -------------------------------------------------
                               James K. Vizanko
                               Senior Vice President and Chief Financial Officer


                                                           ALLETE 2004 Form 10-K