Don’t expect to glean too much information about the  U.S. Government’s new $1.5 billion data center in Camp Williams, Utah, which just broke ground and will be operated under the auspices of the NSA.

Little is publicly known about the (take a deep breath) Intelligence Community Comprehensive National Cyber-security Initiative Data Center (CNCI) except its price tag and its mission, which is to essentially prevent doomsday cyberwarfare scenarios and keep hackers at bay, particularly from government systems and critical infrastructure. And while its projected IT capabilities and capacities are classified, ZDNet’s David Gewirtz was able to unearth some fascinating facts.  Here’s the one that matters most to Green IT watchers:

Fact #2: The facility will be environmentally friendly

…There are different LEED ratings. Second from the bottom is LEED Silver, which is what the Utah Data Center is aiming for. Now, don’t misinterpret LEED Silver as bad by any means. While the top LEED rating, Platinum, essentially means the building can essentially pass gas that can create a new Garden of Eden, any LEED rating is a far improvement over the environmental sustainability of most modern buildings.

So, for a data center of the size of the Utah Data Center to be LEED Silver is a big accomplishment — if they actually earn the rating once the facility is built.

Not a shabby goal for a million-square-foot (!) facility. Recently, companies like eBay have embarked on big green data centers projects in the midst of an industry-wide shift toward improving energy and operational efficiency. Sure, it’s kinder to the planet, but it also makes business sense. Gartner forecasts some huge IT capacity growth amid shrinking energy footprints. More from less? I defy you to find a business that would say no to that.

So even if the government has to keep it hush-hush, it’s nice to see it — or the NSA at least — getting in on the act too.

Image credit: Deseret News