SHORT-TERM AND LONG-TERM DEBT

9 Months Ended

Sep. 30, 2024

Debt Disclosure [Abstract]

SHORT-TERM AND LONG-TERM DEBT

SHORT-TERM AND LONG-TERM DEBT

The following tables present the Company’s short-term and long-term debt as of September 30, 2024, and December 31, 2023:

September 30, 2024	Principal	Unamortized Debt Issuance Costs	Total
Millions
Short-Term Debt	$41.8	—	$41.8
Long-Term Debt	1,752.6	$(8.9)	1,743.7
Total Debt	$1,794.4	$(8.9)	$1,785.5

December 31, 2023	Principal	Unamortized Debt Issuance Costs	Total
Millions
Short-Term Debt	$111.5	$(0.1)	$111.4
Long-Term Debt	1,687.9	(8.0)	1,679.9
Total Debt	$1,799.4	$(8.1)	$1,791.3

We had $23.4 million outstanding in standby letters of credit and no outstanding draws under our lines of credit as of September 30, 2024 ($19.4 million in standby letters of credit and $34.1 million outstanding draws on our lines of credit as of December 31, 2023). We also have standby letters of credit outstanding under other letter of credit facilities. (See Note 6. Commitments, Guarantees and Contingencies.)

On September 5, 2024, ALLETE issued and sold $150 million of senior unsecured notes (“Notes”) to certain institutional buyers in the private placement market. The Notes were sold in reliance on an exemption from registration under Section 4(a)(2) of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, to institutional accredited investors. Of the Notes issued and sold, $100 million of the Notes bear interest at a rate of 5.94 percent and mature on September 5, 2029, and $50 million of the Notes bear interest at a rate of 6.18 percent and mature on September 5, 2034. Interest on the Notes will be payable semi-annually on March 5 and September 5 of each year, commencing on March 5, 2025. The Company has the option to prepay all or a portion of the Notes at its discretion, subject to a make-whole provision. The Notes are subject to additional terms and conditions which are customary for these types of transactions. Proceeds from the sale of the Notes were used for refinancing of debt and general corporate purposes.

On July 31, 2024, ALLETE issued a notice to the holders of its 2.65 percent senior notes due September 10, 2025, (“2025  Notes”) regarding the Company’s exercise of its option to prepay all of the issued and outstanding 2025 Notes. ALLETE prepaid all $150 million in aggregate principal amount of the 2025 Notes on September 5, 2024. The 2025 Notes were prepaid at 100 percent of their principal amount, plus accrued and unpaid interest.

NOTE 5. SHORT-TERM AND LONG-TERM DEBT (continued)

On April 23, 2024, ALLETE issued $100 million of its First Mortgage Bonds (Bonds) to certain institutional buyers in the private placement market. The Bonds, which bear interest at 5.72 percent, will mature on April 30, 2039 and pay interest semi-annually in April and October of each year, commencing on October 30, 2024. ALLETE has the option to prepay all or a portion of the Bonds at its discretion, subject to a make-whole provision. The Bonds are subject to additional terms and conditions which are customary for these types of transactions. Proceeds from the sale of the Bonds were used to refinance existing indebtedness and for general corporate purposes. The Bonds were sold in reliance on an exemption from registration under Section 4(a)(2) of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, to institutional accredited investors.

Financial Covenants. Our long-term debt arrangements contain customary covenants. In addition, our lines of credit and letters of credit supporting certain long-term debt arrangements contain financial covenants. Our compliance with financial covenants is not dependent on debt ratings. The most restrictive financial covenant requires ALLETE to maintain a ratio of indebtedness to total capitalization (as the amounts are calculated in accordance with the respective long-term debt arrangements) of less than or equal to 0.65 to 1.00, measured quarterly. As of September 30, 2024, our ratio was approximately 0.36 to 1.00. Failure to meet this covenant would give rise to an event of default if not cured after notice from the lender, in which event ALLETE may need to pursue alternative sources of funding. Some of ALLETE’s debt arrangements contain “cross-default” provisions that would result in an event of default if there is a failure under other financing arrangements to meet payment terms or to observe other covenants that would result in an acceleration of payments due. ALLETE has no significant restrictions on its ability to pay dividends from retained earnings or net income. As of September 30, 2024, ALLETE was in compliance with its financial covenants.