ANCHORAGE, Alaska—
An audit by the Defense Department inspector general says Air Force planning to replace diesel power with wind turbines at three remote radar stations along Alaska's west coast was flawed.The projects approved in 2009 may face millions in overruns.
The audit says the Air Force moved ahead with contracts for projects at Cape Newenham and Cape Romanzof in southwest Alaska and Cape Lisburne in northwest Alaska without adequate wind studies.
The projects were picked in 2009 for economic stimulus money but auditors say the wind turbines were not "shovel-ready" as required by Recovery Act legislation.
The Air Force says overseas deployments overseas affected the engineering workload of those who remained, as did unexpected turnover in project management.
The Cape Newenham project has been dropped.
