Ever wonder what happened to PECO's century-old abandoned power plants? In this episode, filmmaker John Kramer takes us inside the forgotten world of Philadelphia’s Electric Company and its once-grand stations. His upcoming documentary Electric Rust (co-directed with Ben Kees) uncovers the rise, fall, and human stories behind these massive, cathedral-like structures that once powered entire cities.
We explore John’s lifelong fascination with abandoned places, the history of these plants, and what it’s really like to step inside them today—scrappers, nature reclaiming the ruins, dangers, and all. He also shares stories from former workers, the challenges of filming in decaying spaces, and his vision for how Electric Rust will keep this lost history alive.
If you’ve ever stared at a crumbling industrial building and thought, What happened in there?—this conversation is for you.
Welcome to episode fifteen.
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Instagram: @electric_rust
YouTube: Electric Rust
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