It is the goal of the United States in carrying out energy supply and energy conservation research and development—

(1) to strengthen national energy security by reducing dependence on imported oil;

(2) to increase the efficiency of the economy by meeting future needs for energy services at the lowest total cost to the Nation, including environmental costs, giving comparable consideration to technologies that enhance energy supply and technologies that improve the efficiency of energy end uses;

(3) to reduce the air, water, and other environmental impacts (including emissions of greenhouse gases) of energy production, distribution, transportation, and utilization, through the development of an environmentally sustainable energy system;

(4) to maintain the technological competitiveness of the United States and stimulate economic growth through the development of advanced materials and technologies;

(5) to foster international cooperation by developing international markets for domestically produced sustainable energy technologies, and by transferring environmentally sound, advanced energy systems and technologies to developing countries to promote sustainable development;

(6) to consider the comparative environmental and public health impacts of the energy to be produced or saved by the specific activities;

(7) to consider the obstacles inherent in private industry’s development of new energy technologies and steps necessary for establishing or maintaining technological leadership in the area of energy and energy efficiency resource technologies; and

(8) to consider the contribution of a given activity to fundamental scientific knowledge.