What’s Up With The Purple Streetlights In Charlotte?

Have you seen any of the eerie purple streetlights around Charlotte? I pass at least three every morning on my way to work. At first, I thought they must have been part of some sort of energy-saving initiative. Then I thought they might be special coronavirus disinfecting bulbs sent by the CDC. No such luck. Thankfully, another Charlotte resident was smart enough to ask why, one by one, the city's streetlights are turning purple.

Rémy Thurston reached out to reporter Joe Bruno from WSOC-TV to find out what's going on. It took an hour for Bruno to get word from Duke Energy that it’s not part of anyone's plan. It turns out there’s a defect in the LED bulbs that cause the white light to turn purple over time. Furthermore, since the purple light isn’t hurting anyone, there isn't any rush to replace the bulbs.

Here's the thing. If they don't begin replacing the defective bulbs soon, and more of the streetlights go purple, Charlotte is going to start looking like a teenager's bedroom, circa 1975. It might be time to stock up on black light posters at Spencer's.