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4	Note Purchase Agreement, dated December 8, 2016, between ALLETE and Hartford Investment Management Company, Northwestern Mutual Investment Management Company, The Northwestern Mutual Life Insurance Company and Nationwide Life insurance Company.

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•	our ability to successfully implement our strategic objectives;

•	global and domestic economic conditions affecting us or our customers;

•	changes in and compliance with laws and regulations;

•	changes in tax rates or policies, or in rates of inflation;

•	the outcome of legal and administrative proceedings (whether civil or criminal) and settlements;

•	weather conditions, natural disasters and pandemic diseases;

•	our ability to access capital markets and bank financing;

•	changes in interest rates and the performance of the financial markets;

•	project delays or changes in project costs;

•	changes in operating expenses and capital expenditures, and our ability to raise revenues from our customers in regulated rates or sales price increases at our Energy Infrastructure and Related Services businesses;

•	the impacts of commodity prices on ALLETE and our customers;

•	our ability to attract and retain qualified, skilled and experienced personnel;

•	effects of emerging technology;

•	war, acts of terrorism and cyber attacks;

•	our ability to manage expansion and integrate acquisitions;

•	population growth rates and demographic patterns;

•	wholesale power market conditions;

•

federal and state regulatory and legislative actions that impact regulated utility economics, including our allowed rates of return, capital structure, ability to secure financing, industry and rate structure, acquisition and disposal of assets and facilities, operation and construction of plant facilities and utility infrastructure, recovery of purchased power, capital investments and other expenses, including present or prospective environmental matters;

•	effects of competition, including competition for retail and wholesale customers;

•	effects of restructuring initiatives in the electric industry;

•	the impacts on our Regulated Operations segment of climate change and future regulation to restrict the emissions of greenhouse gases;

•	effects of increased deployment of distributed low-carbon electricity generation resources;

•	the impacts of laws and regulations related to renewable and distributed generation;

•	pricing, availability and transportation of fuel and other commodities, and the ability to recover the costs of such commodities;

•	our current and potential industrial and municipal customers’ ability to execute announced expansion plans;

•	real estate market conditions where our legacy Florida real estate investment is located may not improve;

•	the success of efforts to realize value from, invest in, and develop new opportunities in, our Energy Infrastructure and Related Services businesses; and

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factors affecting our Energy Infrastructure and Related Services businesses, including fluctuations in the volume of customer orders, unanticipated cost increases, changes in legislation and regulations impacting the industries in which the customers served operate, the effects of weather, creditworthiness of customers, ability to obtain materials required to perform services, and changing market conditions.

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