The company was founded in Hong Kong in 1901 as China Light & Power Company Syndicate by Shewan Tomes and Company and others. In 1903, the company's first power station, with a generating capacity of 75 kW, was commissioned in Hung Hom at the junction of present-day Chatham Road and Princess Margaret Road. By 1919, the company was supplying electricity for street lights in Kowloon.The Kadoorie family joined the CLP board of directors in 1930 and retains control of the company as of 2013.In 1983, the company established a joint venture with Guangdong Nuclear Power for the construction and operation of the Daya Bay Nuclear Power Plant.On 6 January 1998, CLP Holdings Limited replaced China Light & Power Company, Limited as the new holding company listed on the Stock Exchange of Hong Kong.In 2018, CLP establihed a new branch, CLP Innovation and now CLP Digital. The branch has a separate company listing, Smart Energy Connect that provides environmentally friendly solutions.
