SaskPower says most of the power outages in Regina this week have been caused by birds and squirrels climbing on power lines.

There have been eight outages in Regina alone in the past week.

The Crown-owned utility also says a long term plan to improve the system is also increasing the likelihood of outages. Parts of the grid are currently shut down for upgrades and expansions, meaning large areas of the city are being powered by a smaller number of stations.

SaskPower estimates the upgrades will be complete by the end of July.

With files from CTV Regina's Dale Hunter