Why Are Street Lights Everywhere Suddenly Turning Purple?

A monopoly, a mistake, and a headache

(Starryai)

If you drive around in the United States after dark, you are likely to see something strange and out of place. Streetlights have started turning an eerie purple color. Instead of emitting a cool blue light or a warm orange light, these lights produce a harsh purple or violet light. This light immediately catches the eye and illuminates an area with a harsh, sometimes garish, appearance.

The lights have become so noticeable and so unsettling that companies across the United States are receiving calls asking if there is a problem. Some people even went as far as to try and connect the advent of 5G technology and the strange purple light. Duke Energy admitted that roughly 5,000 of their lights nationwide seem to be affected by this strange problem.

At first, it is prudent to wonder if these lights serve some sort of purpose. Do they have something to do with traffic cameras, like the lights that turn on when a traffic lamp turns red? Do they help security cameras see movement better? The answer is that these lights are not purposeful. In fact, they are an example of a defect on a truly massive scale. Every one of these purple lights is defective, and they are supposed to be flagged and reported so the bulbs can be replaced with functional ones.

So what happened? How have streetlights gone bad across the country from Florida to Ohio? The answer is connected to a monopoly and a massive mistake.

A Near Monopoly

Over the past decade, cities and municipalities have slowly been swapping over their old globe lights for new LED lights. LED lights are more energy efficient and brighter than the old traditional lights. By swapping to LEDs, cities were hoping to save themselves millions on annual power costs to light up their streets.

Since dozens of cities are swapping out their lights, LEDs have become big business. Like many things in the modern era, big business has attracted investors and consolidators. The result is that a single conglomerate dominates the LED lighting market in the United States. That company is Acuity Brands which operates a host of subsidiaries. According to Business Insider, Acuity and its…