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) - JULY 19, 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 7.  FINANCIAL STATEMENTS AND EXHIBITS

The following exhibit of ALLETE is filed herewith in accordance with Item 601 of
Regulation S-K:

    Exhibit
    Number

      99   -   ALLETE News Release dated July 19, 2001.




                      ALLETE Form 8-K dated July 19, 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 July 19, 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.





July 19, 2001                                           D. G. Gartzke
                                             -----------------------------------
                                                        D. G. Gartzke
                                               Senior Vice President - Finance
                                                 and Chief Financial Officer




                       ALLETE Form 8-K dated July 19, 2001                     3


                                  EXHIBIT INDEX

Exhibit
Number

   99    -   ALLETE News Release dated July 19, 2001