1.) His device had an antenna.
So it basically absorbed the energy.

2.) The energy produced did not need to be put through a 60 Hz inverter.
So his device absorbed 60 Hz electricity from the surrounding power lines.

However, this is impossible if you calculate how much of those 60 Hz radiations intersect his antenna on average throughout the New York countryside. So it induced the energy somehow, so that more of the signal routes through the antenna than would otherwise intersect it.

Is this possible somehow? Maybe. Let's just begin with assuming that he did do it.

What occurs to me is the attracting of the photons in the signal being received. This can be accomplished if a massive voltage spike is generated right at the time that the photons are most polarized.

Here is such a device, and it uses 12 vacuum tubes:
http://www.pyrazo.com/

Enjoy!