Iconic PECO sign going dark for Earth Hour

Earth Hour, an international event aimed at raising awareness about climate change by asking people to turn off their lights for an hour, is happening tomorrow. Darkness will roll around the planet, as in each time zone, from 8:30 to 9:30, the lights on buildings, bridges and homes will be turned off.

The event has attracted participants that are big in every way -- the Golden Gate Bridge in San Francisco, the Sears Tower in Chicago,  the Tokyo Tower, the Sydney Opera House. This year, even the Kremlin is going to switch off.

Here in Philly and the surrounding region, some have participated. But overall, enthusiasm has largely been dim.

But just today, PECO announced it is joining the event. The LED array atop its main office building at 2301 Market Street will be turned off from 8:30 to 9:30 p.m. Saturday.

Before going dark, from 5 to 8:30 p.m, this message will scroll: "We're turning off our Crown Lights for Earth Hour on Saturday, March 23 8:30 p.m. – 9:30 p.m. Join us! Turn off your lights & save energy. Find more ways to save energy and money at peco.com/SmartIdeas"

Worldwide, more than 150 countries and territories will be participating this year, along with first-timers Palestine, Tunisia, Galapagos, Suriname, French Guyana, St. Helena and Rwanda.