Here's Why Purple Streetlights Are Popping Up Around North Carolina

If you've taken a late night walk through your neighborhood or driven around at night, you may have noticed some strange lights emitting from streetlights. While the purple glow coming from the lights may be different than what you're used to, there is a perfectly reasonable explanation.

Several people have voiced their concerns and curiosity over the odd color of streetlights. Duke Energy, which controls streetlights around large parts of North Carolina, including in Charlotte and the Triad, told WSOC that the purple lights are caused by a manufacturer defect in some of the LED lights they installed around the state. While initially the lights were the typical white glow, over time they turned purple.

Though the lights may be harmless, Duke Energy has told its crews to be on the lookout and asks that anyone who sees a purple light report it to the company here. From there, they will work to quickly repair or replace the lights.

So if you see a purple haze coming from some streetlights on your next late-night drive, there's no need to worry. To put it simply: "There's no safety issues with the lights and they continue to work," Duke Energy said. "They are just purple."

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