I remember one California summer when it hit 105 degrees in LA and all I had in my tiny apartment was a fan. Yes you can get by with only a fan. However I was happy to return to my home state of PA with its more moderate weather patterns.
When the fan isn't enough, a cold shower helps. A wet bedsheet does wonders to cool down too. Innovate when you have no alternative.
From the 'link' in reply #9--
A July 23, 1999, report from the California Energy Commission's staff warned that the state's energy markets were a ticking time bomb.
"This really wasn't a working market," said Edison's Stern. "We always believed there was the potential for the markets to go haywire."
And, the governor 'fiddled'.