The Globe and Mail reports in its Tuesday edition that global investments in fusion energy hit a record of $4.48-billion in the year since last July, a milestone driven by hopes the emerging industry can help meet rising demand for electricity in the long term (all figures U.S.). A Reuters dispatch to The Globe says that fusion reactors, which are in the experimental stage, jam light atoms such as hydrogen together under extreme heat and pressure to produce large amounts of energy without releasing greenhouse gases or creating nuclear waste. Last year's total investment in 56 private companies was the highest since the survey began in 2021 and 69 per cent higher than the previous year, the Washington-based Fusion Industry Association survey said. Total investments since the survey began in 2021 hit more than $14.2-billion. The investment surge signals growing confidence that fusion can move from the laboratory to the grid, though companies still face significant technical hurdles before it can produce power commercially. General Fusion, based in Richmond, B.C., said earlier this year it is going public in the U.S. in a deal worth about $1-billion. Google-backed TAE Technologies also plans to go public in a merger.