Ninety-five years ago Eau Claire agreed to allow a local power company to install hydroelectric generators at Dells Pond Dam. The city has signed a new agreement with Xcel Energy, which obtained ownership of the dam in 2003, to work together toward each of their even more ambitious goals to drastically cut pollution by 2050.

In March 2018, the City Council adopted a resolution providing that Eau Claire, the city government and entire community, should operate on percent renewable energy by 2050. Several months later, Xcel announced its intent to produce entirely carbon-free electricity by 2050