Objective: Pathological retinal angiogenesis is vision threatening. In mouse oxygen-induced retinopathy (OIR) we sought to define mitochondrial respiration changes longitudinally during hyperoxia-induced vessel loss and with hypoxia-induced neovascularization (NV), and test interventions to address those changes to prevent NV. Methods: OIR was induced in C57BL/6J mice and retinal vasculature was examined at maximum neovessel formation. We assessed total proteome change and the ratio of mitochondrial/nuclear DNA copy numbers (mtDNA/nDNA) of OIR vs. control retinas, and mitochondrial oxygen consumption rates (OCR) in ex vivo OIR vs. control retinas (BaroFuse). Pyruvate vs. vehicle control was supplemented in OIR mice either prior to or during neovessel formation. Results: In OIR vs. control retinas proteomics identified decreased retinal mitochondrial respiration and synaptic formation pathway proteins at peak neovascularization. mtDNA/nDNA was decreased during hypoxia-induced neovessel growth (as was OCR) suggesting impaired mitochondrial respiration. Pyruvate administration during but not prior to neovessel formation (in line with compromised mitochondrial activity) suppressed NV in vivo. Conclusions: Mitochondrial energetics are suppressed during retinal NV in OIR. Appropriately timed supplementation of energy substrates (pyruvate) may be a novel approach in neovascular retinal diseases.