Pension and Other Postretirement Benefit Plans

6 Months Ended

Jun. 30, 2017

Compensation and Retirement Disclosure [Abstract]

Pension and Other Postretirement Benefit Plans [Text Block]

PENSION AND OTHER POSTRETIREMENT BENEFIT PLANS

	Pension						Other Postretirement
Components of Net Periodic Benefit Cost (Income)	2017			2016			2017			2016
Millions
Quarter Ended June 30,
Service Cost		$2.6			$2.1			$1.1			$1.0
Interest Cost	8.2			8.1			1.9			1.8
Expected Return on Plan Assets	(10.6		)	(10.7		)	(2.7		)	(2.8		)
Amortization of Prior Service Credits	—			—			(0.5		)	(0.8		)
Amortization of Net Loss	2.4			2.5			0.1			0.1
Net Periodic Benefit Cost (Income)		$2.6			$2.0		$(0.1)			$(0.7)
Six Months Ended June 30,
Service Cost		$5.1			$4.1			$2.2			$2.0
Interest Cost	16.3			16.2			3.8			3.7
Expected Return on Plan Assets	(21.2		)	(21.3		)	(5.3		)	(5.6		)
Amortization of Prior Service Credits	—			—			(1.0		)	(1.5		)
Amortization of Net Loss	4.9			4.9			0.2			0.1
Net Periodic Benefit Cost (Income)		$5.1			$3.9		$(0.1)			$(1.3)

Employer Contributions. For the six months ended June 30, 2017, we contributed $1.7 million in cash and $13.5 million in ALLETE common stock to the defined benefit pension plans (none for the six months ended June 30, 2016); we do not expect to make additional contributions to our defined benefit pension plans in 2017. For the six months ended June 30, 2017, and 2016, we made no contributions to our other postretirement benefit plans; we do not expect to make any contributions to our other postretirement benefit plans in 2017.