A heated driveway seems like it would be really cool. Unfortunately there are issues that are more serious than cost to operate. With 2 feet of packed snow and sub-zero temps, it would take a very long time to melt off the drive. Once it was melted off, there wouldn't be anywhere for the water to go and it would just freeze in the street.
Downtown Des Moines put in some heated sidewalks last year. If I understand things correctly, they still need to clean the big layers of snow off but the heaters keep them from icing up. It makes them safer but doesn't, necessarily, mean no shoveling. It was also used as a campaign attack during the 2010 elections. '
Insert name of sitting councilman' voted to spend your tax dollars on heated sidewalks. Can you trust someone willing to WASTE YOUR TAX DOLLARS in that way?

I like the force field over the city idea. Flame throwers would be fun too.
Paul