Delegate Jim Scott's Richmond Report

As this column is written, the Presidential election will shortly be underway. Many believe the voter turnout will be higher than historical trends would indicate. Curtis Gans of the respected Committee to Study the American Electorate estimates that the generally declining percentage of eligible citizens will be reversed this year. Let us hope so. Let us also hope the result will be decisive enough to avoid the prolonged decision-making of 2000.

One element of this year’s election that bears watching is the volume of early voting allowed by relaxed state laws. Even candidates are voting before Nov. 2. John Edwards voted in North Carolina the week before the election. Clearly, Motor Voter laws have made registration easier. Technology has citizens vote early, many by absentee ballots. As numbers of early voters increase, it will be interesting to see whether some have second thoughts about making the decision before all the information is available about the candidates.

Electoral college remains an anachronism

After 2000, many suggested modifying or eliminating the Electoral College. Elimination would, however, require a constitutional amendment—a lengthy and difficult solution. Changing the winner-take-all nature of current system could be done by individual state action. I have introduced legislation in the General Assembly several times to require partial apportionment—dividing all but two of the state electors according to Congressional district election results. Colorado this year offered a full apportionment via referendum. If passed, all 9 of the Colorado electors would be divided according to popular vote. If current polls are correct, the state winner would receive five votes and the loser would receive four. Both proposals would be improvements over the current system.

A new idea in electric power: aggregation

In the mid-1990’s Virginia established a legislative framework for re-structuring the electric utility industry in the Commonwealth. As a result, electric rates were capped until 2004. This year the cap was extended to 2010 in order to facilitate competition for electricity in Virginia. Rates were stabilized, except for a one-time fuel adjustment because of extraordinary price increases for the fuel to run generators. Consequently fuel rates to consumers seen stable costs for electricity that have caused the price of electricity, when adjusted for inflation, to drop.

Now a new opportunity presents itself: aggregation or buying electricity in bulk. Legislation passed this year allows the state and any of its political subdivisions to aggregate the demand of it citizens and constituent entities “for the purpose of negotiating the purchase of electrical energy requirements from any licensed supplier within the Commonwealth.” A number of localities are investigating the concept to save their citizens money. Just as you visit Costco or Price Club to buy merchandise more cheaply in bulk, you might be able to buy electricity through your local government as the aggregator. The cities of Fairfax, Charlottesville and Hampton and Chesterfield County are considering the option of purchasing electricity for distribution to their citizens at lower rates than might available to individual homeowners. If any or all decide to move forward, they would probably hire consultant(s) to help determine if the change would be advantageous. Thirty thousand subscribers are considered optimum for an aggregation to be worthwhile. Residents, churches and small businesses would be billed by Dominion Virginia Power as now, presumably at rates even lower than the current individual rates capped by the current electric re-structuring legislation.