RALEIGH, (SGRToday.com) - Gov. Pat McCrory will be in Washington D.C. Friday for a meeting of the coalition of governors looking at expanding the use of offshore energy resources.

McCrory is the chair of the OCS Governors Coalition. The meeting will take place at 1:30 p.m. at the JW Marriott Hotel on Pennsylvania Avenue. It is closed to press.

On Thursday, the governor welcomed a new member to the coalition -- Maine Gov. Paul LePage. He joins the governors of Alabama, Louisiana, Mississippi, North Carolina, South Carolina and Virginia as members.

The four-year-old group advocates for safe energy expansion through responsible resource development and supports proactive offshore energy production as part of a comprehensive national energy policy.