SaskPower is reacting to the increasing number of power outages in the Regina area.

11 different areas both within the city or in the rural area surrounding Regina experienced unplanned outages sometime this week according to the SaskPower website.

President and CEO Mike Marsh says most of the recent outages are wildlife related.

“You’re probably aware about a third of our outages are caused by equipment failures, a third are weather related, and then we have issues with trees around the province falling into lines, or branches hitting lines, and wildlife,” Marsh saifd. “This just happens to be a case where most of them have been wildlife related.”

Marsh said work is being done to prevent or limit future outages.

“As we go to these sites and we look at the equipment, we replace them with animal guards where we can, but you have to appreciate there’s over 80,000 pieces of transformers on poles around this province, and our teams are working at it,” Marsh said. “Over time over the next few years, we hope to get much of them covered with wildlife protection devices.”

Marsh said he realizes the frustration people have with the outages.

“I live in southeast Regina, so when the power goes out, I get frustrated too,” Marsh said. “But bear with us, our crews are working on it, and we will try and make sure that we minimize these outages to the extent we can, we can never guarantee they won’t be there.”

Marsh says $18.9 Million is being spent in Regina on infrastructure upgrades to limit the frequency of power outages.