(RALEIGH) -- The U.S. Energy Department mentioned in a report this week that retail gasoline prices could top $4 per gallon later this year and diesel prices may rise 14 percent this year.  N.C. State University Economist Dr. Mike Walden said the current trend in gas prices will again start impacting consumer behavior.

"We're back in the same boat we were in prior to the recession.  We have to think about alternatives.  We have to think about more fuel efficient vehicles. We have to think about personally using less gasoline, because I don't think it's going to get any cheaper," said Walden.

He added that the world economy impacts the price of gas. "The world economy is growing more and we're back to where we were prior to the recession that China, India, other countries that are rapidly moving ahead economically, they're just sucking in more oil and more and more gas and that's putting upward pressure on gas prices," said Walden.

Consumers last saw $4 per gallon gas prices in September of 2008. Regular gasoline reached a record high at $4.11 per gallon on July 17, 2008.