Gas will be a transitional fuel until 2020, Origin Energy chairman Kevin McCann says.
The company said it would be a winner when the emissions trading scheme is introduced in 2010 because it uses gas to generate electricity, which is cleaner than coal.
Mr McCann told Sky News that from 2010 until 2020, the stationary energy industry will enable Australia to get significantly less carbon emissions.
"We hope that there will be new technologies being developed and there will be renewable options other than wind because at moment the only technology is wind," Mr McCann said.
"But we think if there is a bridging period of that 10 years, which we think gas can do the work, then gas will still be important but it won't carry all the load."
Sydney-based Origin is defending a hostile $13.7 billion takeover attempt by Britain's BG Group Plc.
BG is partly interested in Origin's coal seem gas reserves, which Origin wants to convert into LNG for export with a joint venture partner.