Tell the MN PUC to REJECT the Sale of ALLETE/Minnesota Power to Private Equity
If you are concerned about the proposed sale of one of Minnesota’s largest electric utilities, Minnesota Power, to private equity firms
Now is the time to act!
Whether you are a Minnesota Power customer or a Minnesotan anywhere else in the state
This sale will impact you.
ALLETE—a publicly traded energy company headquartered in Duluth, MN—in May 2024 announced its plan to be acquired by two large, private investors: the Canada Pension Plan Investment Board (CPP Investments) and Global Infrastructure Partners (GIP). Among ALLETE’s other holdings, it owns Minnesota Power—a public utility serving 150,000 Minnesotan residents, 14 municipalities, and major industrial customers, including Minnesota’s iron mines and paper mills.
Adding fuel to the private equity fire, in October 2024, GIP was formally acquired by BlackRock, the largest private asset holder in the world.
The private equity business model is based on extracting the largest amount of profits from the companies they buy, usually by loading them with debt, reducing staffing costs, and cutting back services. This means big windfalls for their investors, but more often than not, this comes at the expense of customers, employees, and the public.
Before this deal can go through, it needs the approval of the Minnesota Public Utilities Commission (PUC) which has to find that it’s “consistent with the public interest.” Learn more here about why we think selling a critical public service off to giant private equity interests is clearly not in the public interest.
Minnesotans need to be heard on whether their public utilities should remain publicly owned. Now is your chance to tell the PUC what your questions and concerns are about this proposed deal. Minnesota Power customers—and all Minnesotans—stand to be most directly impacted if this sale goes through, so our voices deserve to be heard.
Why isn’t the acquisition of ALLETE and Minnesota Power by private equity in the public interest?
ACT NOW 
Use this form to send an email to the PUC by 4:30 pm on April 17.
Make it Personal | Your story makes a big impact on decision-makers. Share who you are, why you care about this issue, and what concerns you most. Our friends at CUB have additional guidance for preparing an effective comment. Note that everything included in your comment will become part of the public record.