UPDATE: What’s going on with the purple street lights in Florida?

Jacob Langston, Digital Journalist

ORLANDO, Fla. – Here’s an official update on the purple street lights you’ve all been waiting for.

As we now know, they’re not meant to be that color. While the lights still work as their intended purpose, there is a manufacturer defect that was recently identified, according to Acuity Brands, the maker of the lights.

Acuity said the blue or purple light effect is due to a spectral shift caused by phosphor displacement seen “years after initial installation.”

Officials reiterated that the light output is not harmful and they are no longer using the LEDs that causes the color shift.

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When reached for an update, Duke Energy confirmed that 870 of the affected lights out of an estimated 2,000 have been replaced in their jurisdiction throughout Florida since January, with the cost being handled entirely by the manufacturer.

Residents can request a street light repair by visiting Duke Energy’s online street light repair tool.

Acuity Brands said they did not know the status of the replacements, but released a statement that read in part:

“As always, we stand behind the quality of our products, and we have been proactively working with customers who have been affected by this issue to address and satisfactorily resolve any concerns.”

Florida Power & Light said they are continuing to work with the manufacturer to replace LED streetlights in their service area, but did not provide a number that they have replaced or still need replacing.

According to FPL, the lights are under a warranty agreement and the manufacturer is replacing the lights with “costs are also being paid for by the manufacturer.”

Because the affected lights were installed on different dates, it will take time to locate all of the faulty lights and replace them. Customers can report streetlights displaying a purple color by calling 1-800-4-OUTAGE or going to FPL.com/streetlight. FPL remains committed to continuously improving the service we provide our customers.

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ORLANDO, Fla.