Turning to load growth, after years of relatively flat demand, we are seeing 2 to 3% annual growth in the coming years, with an inflection point above 3% annual growth beginning in 2028. In SCE’s service area, we project this growth will be driven by the continued adoption of EVs, increases in industrial electrification, and higher penetration of building electrification. In California, one-fourth of new cars sold in 2023 were zero emission vehicles and that trend is continuing into 2024. As another indication of this acceleration, the state recently reached a milestone of over 100,000 public EV chargers now installed throughout California, which is on top of over 500,000 at-home chargers. Southern California already has a significant data center presence, so while we also see load growth potential from this sector, we expect transportation electrification to drive a more substantial increase in the region’s electricity demand.
As our investment levels grow to support economywide electrification, affordability remains top-of-mind. We have demonstrated cost leadership over the years, resulting in the lowest system average rate among the major California IOUs. This discipline of managing our costs is a continuous focus. For example, we previously highlighted that the 2025 GRC application included $41 million of annual O&M savings as an immediate benefit for customers. Building on that, in SCE’s rebuttal testimony submitted earlier this month, the utility identified another $35 million of annual O&M savings to further mitigate the revenue increase.
2024 is very much a year of execution across the business and we are pleased with our start to the year. SCE continues to make significant investments and make the grid safer year after year. We continue to see constructive regulatory decisions. SCE is also making progress toward full resolution of the legacy wildfires. All of this allows us to remain confident in our ability to achieve our near- and long-term commitments.
I will conclude by reemphasizing that Edison International offers an excellent investment vehicle to participate in California’s clean energy transition. SCE is hardening the grid every day, to the benefit of customers and investors, and its wildfire mitigation execution has shown positive results for five wildfire seasons running. California is at the forefront of electrification, decarbonization, and climate adaptation. As an electric-only, wires-focused utility, SCE is in a