In this paper, a robust nonlinear excitation controller is proposed to achieve both voltage regulation and system stability enhancement for single machine-infinite power systems. The proposed method employs backstepping technique and combines this with an adaptation algorithm for estimating the effective reactance of transmission line, thereby leading to adaptive nonlinear control. Simulation results show that power that angle stabilization as well as voltage regulation is achieved in a satisfactory manner, regardless of the system operating conditions and system structure.