Public Energy Solutions, a lighting and energy management services company based in Englewood, N.J., has been selected by Consolidated Edison Inc. as a contractor for its energy conservation program in several Westchester County communities.

Under the contract, Public Energy will focus on reducing power demand by 15,000 kilowatts in White Plains, Dobbs Ferry, Elmsford, Harrison and Rye.

Retail, commercial, industrial and multi-family buildings in those areas are eligible for the program that provides free, energy-efficient compact fluorescent lamps and cash back to buildings with 25 or more incandescent light bulbs.

For more information about the program, contact Public Energy Solutions at 866-818-1900, extension 102, or visit www.publicenergysolutions.com

Everybody wants a piece of Peyton Manning these days and Steiner Sports Marketing of New Rochelle got one. Steiner, which sells autographs and other sports collectibles, said it signed an agreement with Mounted Memories to market autographs of Manning, the quarterback of the Indianapolis Colts and most valuable player in Super Bowl XLI. Steiner’s Web site offers an autographed picture of Manning for $399.99, an autographed Super Bowl helmet for $729.99, and other items.

IBM Corp. of Armonk has landed a 10-year, $121 million contract to upgrade the computer systems of Affin Bank Berhad in Malaysia. IBM said the work will begin soon. Affin has 82 branches and was formed by a 2000 merger of the former Perwira Affin Bank Berhad and BSN Commercial Berhad.

Acorda Therapeutics of Hawthorne said this morning it has received a second $5 million payment as part of its agreement with an affiliate of Paul Capital Healthcare.

The agreement called for the company to receive $10 million to increase the staff of people selling Zanaflex Capsules from 32 to 65. The company received the payment for meeting certain sales goals last year.

The drug treats spasticity, a disorder in which muscles are continuously contracted.

Acorda’s shares closed yesterday at $19.13, up 32 cents.

An investment group that includes former baseball star Mo Vaughn has purchased the Whitney Young Manor apartment complex at 358 Nepperhan Ave. in Yonkers for $17 million and plans to make $9 million in improvements, the city’s Industrial Develpment Agency said today.

Whitney Young Manor L.P., which is affiliated with Omni New York LLC and Mill Plain Properties LLC, bought the property, which consists of 195 rental units, from Young Manor Inc. The improvements will include renovated lobbies, new elevators and upgraded mechanical systems, the IDA said.

The owners will also set $300 per year from each unit to make any other improvements that are needed. No tenants will be displaced during the renovations.

Vaughn, played for the Boston Red Sox, the Anaheim Angels and the Mets. The former Mets first baseman is a partner with Eugene Schneur in Omni, which they formed in 2004.

The project will be funded with bonds issued by the IDA and low-income housing tax credits from the state Division of Housing and Community Renewal.

In addition, the IDA said Jefferson Terrace, which consists of seven stories and 64 units at 108 Jefferson St. in the Ludlow section has been acquired by Jefferson Terrace LLC, an investment group based in Scarsdale. The group bought the property from the Jefferson Terrace Housing Development Fund for $500,000.

The IDA said renovations to the building will include a new boiler, roof, windows, brick facade and elevator. There will also be improvements to the apartment units, though no tenants will be displaced.

The Jefferson Terrace project will be funded with tax credits and tax-exempt bondsx issued through the IDA.

The parent company of the New York Mercantile Exchange said late yesterday that it will buy a 19 percent stake in Optionable Inc. of Briarcliff Manor, whose technology provides brokerage services in the fields of natural gas and other energy derivatives for professional traders.

The deal is expected to close in the next 60 days. It will also provide NYMEX with a seat on Optionable’s board, cooperative technology deals, and a warrant that would allow it to increase its stake in Optionable.

Optionable spokesman Brian Kennedy said the deal reflects NYMEX’s confidence in the local company’s technology. Publicly held Optionable has a market cap of $224 million and is traded over the counter. The company expects to move its staff of about a dozen to new headquarters at 465 Columbus Ave. in Valhalla early next month, Kennedy said.

Optionable will be addressing investors at presentations in New York City, Boston and Richmond, Va., starting this week.

Armonk-based IBM Corp. has won a five-year, $12 million computer support and services contract with Ecco Sko A/S, a shoemaker based in Copenhagen, Denmark. Ecco has tanneries, factories and about 100 stores in 60 countries. Ecco’s chief operating officer, Mikael Thinghuus, said IBM’s expertise will improve the company’s supply chain.

IBM Corp. of Armonk reported two contracts this morning, one with the Norwegian Armed Forces and the other with The Kroger Co., a supermarket chain based in Cincinnati.

IBM said it had $48 million deal to continue developing a system to manage information for the armed forces. The project is called the Economy Project and the contract calls to help the armed forces with accounting, management and logistics. The Norwegian Parliament unanimously approved the government’s proposal to undertake the project last Dec. 15. The job is scheduled to take a year to complete.

Under the other contract, the computer giant reported that Kroger will use IBM technology in more than 2,470 stores across the United States. Steve Ladwig, general manager for IBM Retail Store Solutions, said Kroger is recognized in the grocery industry as a company that is quick to adopt technologies that make its operations more efficient.

The IBM Store Integration Framework will improve service for Kroger customers, IBM said. The contract value was not disclosed.

IBM shares closed at $98.65, down 24 cents yesterday in trading during the regular session on the New York Stock Exchange.

Ryogen LLC, a genetic company in Suffern, announced that it has entered a license agreement with Invitrogen Corp., a life sciences company in Carlsbad, Calif., covering the patent for the Aminopeptidase P gene. This gene plays a role in problems that include hypertension, tumors and rejection of kidney transplants. Valeria Poltorak, Ryogen’s executive vice president, said that the company will work with Invitrogen to make the information about the gene available to the research community under the agreement.

Pepsi Bottling Group Inc., the world’s largest bottler of Pepsi products, announced an agreement with Nor-Cal Beverage Co, Inc. to acquire the distribution and bottling rights for selected Cadbury Schweppes brands in northern California. Under the agreement, Somers-based Pepsi Bottling would add Dr Pepper, Squirt and Hawaiian Punch to its beverage portfolio in the northern California region. The transaction is expected to close in the first quarter.

Debt Resolve Inc., a White Plains-based company that offers an online system for consumers to resolve debts, announced a partnership with a British company to accelerate the rollout of the Debt Resolve system in Europe.

Debt Resolve said that the partnership with fasEo Ltd., a British-based consulting firm headed by credit and collections industry executives, will provide Debt Resolve with expertise to service British and European clients.

“The U.K. and European collections markets are particularly important to Debt Resolve,� James D. Burchetta, chairman and chief executive officer of Debt Resolve said in a written statement. “fasEo’s expertise and experience will be invaluable to the growth and expansion of our company in the U.K. and Europe.�

Touchstone Applied Science Associates, an educational testing services company based in Brewster, announced that it has signed $9.5 million in contracts in multiple states.

The agreements include a one-year contract to administer a school testing program in Indiana, a five- year contract for the English as a Second Language program in Montana and a pilot writing-assessment program for the English Language Institute at the University of Michigan.

Paxar Corp., the White Plains company that markets tags for retail items, will use software from a Miami company to simplify the labeling process.

Paxar and New Generation Computing said this morning that retailers will be able to order labels and tags from Paxar over the Internet using New Generation software. The retailers will be able to order the tags from Paxar when a purchase order is issued or provide specifications to have the tags printed at the factory.

Paxar shares closed at $22.41 Friday, down 27 cents.

LeCroy Corp. of Chestnut Ridge announced today that the Toyo Corp., an equipment distributor in Japan, will distribute LeCroy products in that nation.

The companies have had a business relationship for 10 years, with Toyo providing service for LeCroy’s test products in Japan.

LeCroy shares were quoted at $11.31, up 5 cents, just before noon. The company provides oscilloscopes, protocol analyzers and serial data test solutions.

Par Pharmaceutical Cos. Inc., which has manufacturing and research operations in Chestnut Ridge, said today that federal regulators have approved its application to for a generic version of ondansetron in 4- and 8-milligram tablets.

The drug prevents nausea and vomiting in some certain patients undergoing chemotherapy or radiotherapy or who have just had operations.

The drug is a generic version of GlaxoSmithKline’s Zofran ODT, Par said. U.S. annual sales of that drug are about $300 million, Par said.

The drug will be marketed by Pliva Inc., the U.S. subsidiary of Pliva d.d., a subsidiary of Barr Pharmaceuticals Inc. Barr, which has research operations in Pomona, will market and distribute the drug in the United States.

Par will make the product and the companies will share the profits.

IBM Corp. is working with the Chicago Transit Authority on a pilot program to test a wireless network that seeks to improve safety and security on the agency’s buses and trains, Armonk-based Big Blue announced today. Financial terms of the deal weren’t disclosed.

The program will allow CTA buses to transmit live video to certain law-enforcement and supervisory vehicles. It also will provide real-time viewing of buses and rail stations, allowing emergency personnel to respond to incidents quickly and with the proper equipment, IBM said. In addition to 40 buses, 13 transit-police vehicles and other CTA vehicles, select rail stations and two bus garages will be outfitted with the technology as part of the test program.

IBM is providing design, development and technology-integration services for the project, it said.

Greenburgh-based DLC Management Corp. announced today it has acquired two shopping centers in Lincoln, Neb., giving the property manager its first holdings in that state. East Park Plaza and Shopper’s Fair combined contain nearly 280,000 square feet of space, DLC said, adding that the deal was the 19th and final one for this year.

The company has acquired more than 4 million square feet this year at a cost of $355 million, DLC said. The 15-year-old company focuses on open-air shopping centers and owns 69 such centers in 23 states.

Separately, DLC reported that Justice Just for Girls signed a 10-year lease at Spring Valley Marketplace. Justice sells fashions for 7- to 14-year-old girls and also has a store in the Palisades Center in West Nyack. The clothing chain will occupy about 3,700 square feet at Spring Valley Marketplace, which is now fully rented, DLC said. DLC acquired the property in 1999.

The Rockland Business Association has formed a partnership with Econnergy Energy Company Inc. to provide RBA members with free consulting services, competitively priced electricity and natural gas and special rebates.

Businesses that participate in Orange & Rockland Utilities’ Energy Choice program can buy natural gas or electricity from other suppliers.

Econnergy works with O&R, which will continue to deliver the electricity or natural gas, read meters, respond to outages and send the monthly bill. Ecconergy Energy is based in Spring Valley.

Carrafiello Diehl & Associates, an Irvington-based advertising agency, recently won the contract to manage the advertising for Elations, a new supplement drink for joint health made by The Elations Co., which is based in Cincinnati. The agency has developed print and television advertisements that are now running in the test market in Louisville, Ky.

Acorda Therapeutics, a biotech company based in Hawthorne, said it has amended a one-year-old financing agreement with Paul Capital Healthcare to receive $5 million with the potential for an additional $5 million if it achieves a 2006 sales milestone.

The proceeds will fund a previously announced sales force expansion from 32 to 65 employees and promotional programs for Zanaflex Capsules, a short-acting drug used in the treatment of spasticity, a disorder in which muscles are continuously contracted.

The company’s stock price has rallied in recent months as investors reacted to upbeat news about a multiple sclerosis drug under development at Acorda.