power_usage

#http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_countries_by_electricity_consumption
# We use 3,741,000,000 MW * hr / yr or 3,741,000,000,000,000 W*hr/yr
us_annual_usage_WHrPerYr = 3741000000000000
us_instantaneous_usage_Watts = us_annual_usage_WHrPerYr / (365 * 24)

# Percent of US Electricity from coal: 37.5%
electricity_from_coal_percent = 0.375
electricity_from_coal_Watts = us_instantaneous_usage_Watts * electricity_from_coal_percent

# Solar prices: $1/Watt
# This doesn't include some ancelary stuff, but also doesn't include what buying *a lot* would do to the price.
#http://theconversation.edu.au/newsflash-solar-power-costs-are-falling-below-fossil-fuels-7215
solar_price_USDPerWatt = 1

# Cost of Sandy $50,000,000,000
# Cost of Irene $15,800,000,000 (typical size for a pre-warming storm)
# http://www.cbsnews.com/8301-505143_162-57542602/sandys-cost-may-hit-$50b/
sandy_cost_USD=50000000000
irene_cost_USD=15800000000

storm_cost_difference_USD = sandy_cost_USD - irene_cost_USD

solar_purchased_Watts = storm_cost_difference_USD / solar_price_USDPerWatt

percent_of_coal_replaced_by_solar = solar_purchased_Watts / electricity_from_coal_Watts

############### Output ###############
>>>us_annual_usage_WHrPerYr =  3.7410e+15
>>>us_instantaneous_usage_Watts =  4.2705e+11
>>>electricity_from_coal_percent =  0.37500
>>>electricity_from_coal_Watts =  1.6015e+11
>>>solar_price_USDPerWatt =  1
>>>sandy_cost_USD =  5.0000e+10
>>>irene_cost_USD =  1.5800e+10
>>>storm_cost_difference_USD =  3.4200e+10
>>>solar_purchased_Watts =  3.4200e+10
>>>percent_of_coal_replaced_by_solar =  0.21356
>>>