TOKYO -- Japan's Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry will scrap a system in which solar and wind energy from major power companies is purchased at a predetermined price. Increasing purchasing fees have translated into a greater burden for consumers, so the ministry will introduce a competitive bidding system as soon as 2020 in an effort to keep costs down. The government wants renewable energy to become a major component of Japan's power mix, and it is trying to rush adjustments to the power grid to make that happen.