As Portland International Airport (PDX) unveiled its new main terminal, Governor Tina Kotek was there to toast the occasion. The housewarming celebration this week precedes what many are calling a notable grand opening of the facility. Kotek, amid the fanfare of the event, highlighted the terminal's environmentally conscious design. "I'm excited to celebrate the grand opening of Portland International Airport’s new main terminal," Governor Kotek said, as per the Governor's Office. "This beautiful space greets visitors the Oregon way, with sustainable materials, energy efficiency, and resilient design. I am confident it will meet the needs of our growing region."

The revamped hub encompasses a million square feet of both new and upgraded areas, essentially doubling its previous capacity. The advancements brought by the rebuild are not merely aesthetic but functional, with significant reductions in energy use aimed at a more sustainable future for air travel. The terminal's ground-source heat pump system is a prominent feature, touted to slash fossil fuel usage by an impressive 95 percent.

An aesthetic nod to its regional roots, the terminal's new Oregon-sourced timber ceiling stands as a testament to local materials and craftsmanship. Each plank and beam, drawn from within a 300-mile radius of PDX, carries the narrative of its journey. As a commitment to responsible forest stewardship, nearly three-quarters of the wood carries the Forest Stewardship Council (FSC) certification or comes from lands engaged in ecological forestry, 30 percent of which, can be traced back to its very forest of origin.