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) - December 21, 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
Ref. Form 8-K dated and filed September 24, 2001
On December 21, 2001 ALLETE announced its wholly owned subsidiary ALLETE Water
Services, Inc. (ALLETE Water Services) has agreed to extend an exclusivity
agreement with the Florida Governmental Utility Authority (FGUA) to clarify and
finalize terms of a potential sale of Florida Water Services Corporation's
(Florida Water) assets. Florida Water is a wholly owned subsidiary of ALLETE
Water Services.
Initially, ALLETE Water Services had given the FGUA a December 21, 2001 deadline
to complete a cooperative investigation to reach a mutually acceptable agreement
to purchase all the water, wastewater and water reuse assets of Florida Water.
During the extended period, which expires on January 11, 2002, ALLETE Water
Services has agreed that it will not explore other purchase options or begin
discussions with other companies that have expressed interest in purchasing the
company's assets.
ALLETE Form 8-K dated December 21, 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,"
"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:
- war and acts of terrorism;
- 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 affect 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 December 21, 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.
December 21, 2001 James K. Vizanko
-----------------------------------------------------
James K. Vizanko
Vice President, Chief Financial Officer
and Treasurer
ALLETE Form 8-K dated December 21, 2001 3