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For many spring break travelers, last week meant long lines and crowded airports. Relief from future disruptions, however, could soon be avoided as several airports around the region undergo expansions designed to improve efficiency and reduce delays.   

On Tuesday (3/25), South Dakota Governor Larry Rhoden signed a bill (SB 76) to support the expansion of the Sioux Falls and Rapid City airports by providing each with up to $15 million in interest-free loans.

“South Dakota is Open for Opportunity! We’ve been growing in incredible ways, and expanding our airports is essential to keep that momentum going,” said Governor Larry Rhoden. “More gates, more flights, and more destinations means more visitors, more business, and more opportunity. It’s a win for South Dakotans across our entire state, and it will lead to an even stronger future.”

Governor Rhoden’s announcement follows a slew of similar announcements throughout the region in recent months.

With less than two months before the start of the FIFA World Cup in Seattle, the Seattle-Tacoma International Airport announced that its major expansion to Concourse C was nearing completion. The four-story addition to the existing C1 building will bring more than 226,000 square feet of new space to the airport, featuring new restaurants and retail outlets.

In Texas, the Midland International Air & Space Port broke ground on a major terminal expansion and modernization project, which is expected to open as early as spring 2027. The $38 million project marks the largest terminal upgrade in 30 years and aims to improve the passenger experience by expanding security screening, adding amenities, and modernizing the terminal layout.

In Utah, the Ogden-Hinckley Airport unveiled a new $5 million terminal expansion, which includes an indoor baggage claim, seven drop-off lanes, expanded restrooms, and a refurbished restaurant. The Provo Airport also announced a significant expansion. that will triple the size of the regional airport and expand ticketing and baggage-processing areas.

In California, the Fresno Yosemite International Airport unveiled a 98,000-square-foot expansion in January. The addition nearly doubled the airport's size and includes expanded security infrastructure and a larger international arrivals inspection station. Baggage handling system expansions and improvements are expected to come soon.

In Texas, the Austin-Bergstrom International Airport announced it will add 32 gates as part of a massive expansion project already underway, almost doubling from the 34 gates it has now.

In North Dakota, the Hector International Airport in Fargo recently opened four new gates and modern amenities. The expansion increases the airport’s gate capacity from five to nine gates, marking significant growth for the facility that originally opened with four gates in 1986. The update also includes upgraded security, a children’s play area, a sensory room, a service dog relief area, and additional restroom space and concession areas.

In Idaho, the Idaho Falls Regional Airport announced a $60 million upgrade that features an expanded baggage screening area, safer loading areas for baggage carts, expanded ticket counter and queueing space, and structural modifications that allow for future growth.

Carbon Storage in Colorado: The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) recently moved Colorado’s Class VI primacy application into Phase III, a milestone that signals the Centennial State will likely to become the seventh state with regulatory authority over carbon dioxide storage wells within its borders.

If approved, Colorado will join Arizona, Louisiana, North Dakota, Texas, West Virginia, and Wyoming as the only states with the Class VI well primacy designation.

While Colorado is still awaiting its official approval, two Class VI wells are already planned for Colorado, according to an online tracker maintained by the EPA.

To learn more about Class VI Well Primacy, listen to an episode of WGA’s Out West podcast titled: Decarbonizing the West with Wyoming Gordon Mark Gordon.

Biotech innovation: The Roseman University of Health Sciences in Nevada recently launched a life science incubator designed to accelerate biotech innovation in the Silver State by providing startups and emerging companies with turnkey laboratory space, research infrastructure, regulatory guidance, and connections to investors and industry partners. The 120,000-square-foot facility known as Roseman Bioventures will serve as one of the largest dedicated life science incubators in the Intermountain West.

Well, well, well: Repurposing abandoned oil and gas wells for geothermal power generation or energy storage could help states avoid billions in orphan well capping costs while putting existing infrastructure to work generating and storing electricity. Last week, the Oklahoma House of Representatives approved House Bill 3173 by a vote of 85-6. Modeled after a similar measure in New Mexico, the bill would create a pathway for companies to purchase orphaned wells and convert them for energy storage or geothermal development involving resources at or above 250 degrees Fahrenheit, if approved by the Senate. 

To learn more about the potential for repurposing abandoned oil and gas wells for geothermal use, listen to a WGA Out West podcast titled: The Well of the Future: Repurposing Oil and Gas Wells for Geothermal Energy Production.

Conserving California’s coasts: The California Ocean Protection Council (OPC), in partnership with the California Ocean Science Trust, released the 2026 California Coast and Ocean Report – the first comprehensive, science-based assessment of coastal and ocean health in California's history. The report describes the pressures facing California’s coast and ocean as well as the historic progress that the state is making to support resilient marine ecosystems and thriving coastal communities.  

In conjunction with the release of the report, the OPC also approved over $6 million in funding for nine key science and restoration projects that support healthy oceans and advance the state’s goal to conserve 30% of its coastal waters by 2030. 

NBA western expansion: The NBA board of governors voted this week to officially explore the possibility of adding expansion teams in Seattle and Las Vegas. The league will now begin taking bids on the two new franchises, with the expected offers to be in the $7 billion to $10 billion range.

“For two decades, Washingtonians have mourned the loss of our Sonics. Today’s vote is a milestone in the effort to bring NBA basketball back home,” Washington Governor Ferguson said. “The time is right. The state-of-the-art Climate Pledge Arena already hosts professional basketball and hockey with the Storm, Kraken, and Torrent in front of a dedicated fanbase... Bringing the Sonics back is a top priority, and the state will be a strong partner in this effort. I plan to be there at tipoff with thousands of fellow fans when the Sonics return.”

Western lit: Last week, the Western Writers of America announced the winner of this year’s Spur Awards. The prestigious award is given to authors whose material “represents the reality and spirit of the American West.” Past winners include Larry McMurtry for Lonesome Dove, Michael Blake for Dances with Wolves, Glendon Swarthout for The Shootist, and Tony Hillerman for Skinwalkers.

Highlights from this year’s slate of honorees include historian Paul Andrew Hutton (pictured), who won two Spur Awards this year, giving him eight in his distinguished career. Hutton’s The Undiscovered Country: Triumph, Tragedy, and the Shaping of the American West won Best Historical Western Nonfiction Book. His article, “The Ghosts of Mountain Meadows,” won Best Western Short Nonfiction.

C.K. Crigger earned her fourth career Spur Award, with Last Laugh winning Best Western Romance Novel, and Cyd Raschke’s Home of the Spirit Animals won Spurs for Best First Novel and Best Juvenile Western Novel.

View all of the winners here.