Last week, Intel announced that Fab 32, the $3 billion, 1 million square foot chipmaking facility for the company's upcoming 45nm chips (aka Penryn), opened its doors in Arizona. Good news! This means that we have to look forward to even more energy efficient server and desktop processors in the months following Penryn's Nov. 12th launch.

Even so, Intel doesn't want us to ignore the strides the company’s new plant is taking to limit the damage to the environment.

Intel's industry-leading 45nm process results in a 15 percent reduction in global warming emissions, and Fab 32 makes use of Intel Arizona's innovative water conservation and reuse program which conserves more than 70 percent of the water.

The company also announced that it intends to seek certification for the new fab as the company's first official Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) factory based on new criteria being developed for facilities of this kind. LEED is a green building rating system developed by the U.S. Green Building Council that provides a set of standards for environmentally sustainable construction and requires several months of operating data before certification can be completed. The certification would demonstrate that Fab 32 meets the highest environmental standards and reflects Intel's history of commitment to environmental leadership.

Now, I would like to see more concrete numbers behind that 15 percent reduction (vs. 65 nm fabs?!) but even LEED certification is a nice step. Dave Stangis, Intel's Director of Corporate Responsibility, offers more insight in this blog post.

Update: Engadget has a nice little roundup of early Penryn reviews. In a word: want!